Goodnight and Go
by JustGidget
Summary: Slight AU where Kurt and Blaine meet in their college years. "Kurt's ecstatic when he realizes that the window offers a perfect view of his favorite coffee shop." Barista!Blaine. Future!Klaine. Might change to M later on.
1. Why'd You Have To Be So Cute?

**Ok, I couldn't help myself. I really love the idea of barista Blaine, so I had to incorporate it into this story. This idea sparked when my girlfriend and I were walking through the mall a few days ago so she's going to be a huge inspiration for this story. For now, the rating will be T but it very well might change to M. Just a pre-warning. Hope you enjoy and please, please let me know what you think! I think this story has some potential.**

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><p>Back in high school, Kurt had big dreams. He planned on going to school in New York City and moving in to one of the dorms of a college of his choice or maybe an apartment with Rachel. He worked his ass off senior year of high school, building credentials, running for class president, joining the school musical all while maintaining a GPA of 4.0. Classes at McKinley weren't hard, not at all. However, once you threw in Glee club, the school musical and several other things, those easy classes became a bit of nuisance. Despite all of his hard work, though, Kurt soon realized that good grades and extracurricular activities weren't enough. There was also money involved. Lots of it. He searched for scholarships but he had been a little late. He wouldn't get the money he needed in time and out of state tuition fees were frighteningly expensive. For a while, Kurt had considered taking out a few loans, but he was convinced otherwise by his father. With the amount of money he needed, he would be paying off those student loans several years after he graduated college.<p>

So, as much as it pained him, Kurt settled. The Art Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a good school for his fashion major. Kurt had always dreamed of designing costumes for Broadway productions in New York. Of course, he still loved performing, but after a whole lot of soul searching and experiences in high school, he decided that his true passion lied in fashion. There was absolutely no doubt about that.

Kurt had a plan, though. He wasn't going to settle _forever._ He would have to stick around Ohio for a little while longer, but that was only a minor obstacle. He was going to work his way up to where he really wanted to be: The Fashion Institute of Technology, smack dab in the middle of Manhattan. That was his true dream and he would let nothing-absolutely _nothing_ stop him from reaching his goal.

It's Kurt's second year and final semester. His Associate's Degree is just within his grasp and he has enough money saved up and he has several scholarships under his belt to move on. All he needs to do is ace his classes and he's good to go. Honestly, he can't wait and he only wishes he had a time machine. He's itching to leave Ohio and move on to bigger, better things.

Not that he doesn't like his current college. He's met some fantastic people and he's learned quite a bit. He also has an amazing job at Nordstrom. Not in retail, though. No, no. Even _better._ He has the magnificent job of setting up the window designs and all of the displays around the store. It's pretty amazing, actually, and it's far more than he could have ever asked for. He doesn't have to deal with picky customers trying on clothes that's three sizes too small. Honestly, Kurt isn't sure if he could handle a job in retail. Kurt is thankful for what he has right now. His life is going so much better that it was in high school. But he can't help but want a little bit more. And he doesn't think it's wrong to want _more_ just as long as he works for it. And that's _exactly_ what's he's doing.

Some days are better than others. For the most part, he gets along with his co-workers. Their relationship isn't always perfect, though.

Like today.

There's this new guy, Adam. Adam thinks that he knows everything there is to know about this set up they're working on just because he has a degree in Fashion Design (from Kurt's school, ironically.) But, honestly, Kurt can't help but wonder if it's all a big fat lie. Because those pants on that damn mannequin definitely do _not_ go with the vest he's suggesting. And honestly, why the _hell_ does he want to hang that ugly clump of golden bells with a red bow from the ceiling? It's not _Christmas._ It's barely October.

Kurt has spent half of his day arguing with Adam about the stupid vest and by mid afternoon, he has a pounding head ache. Eventually, he decides to give in because, _seriously,_ Kurt has never met a more stubborn human being. The guy is worse than Rachel at her worst.

Kurt breathes out a sigh of relief when Adam excuses himself to the bathroom. Right now, Kurt wants to yell at Adam and tell him to just _stay_ there so that he can finish the set up himself. He bites his tongue, though, because Kurt likes his job and he knows that he will be overstepping if he makes a comment like that.

Enjoying the silence for the time being, Kurt moves over to the corner of the small room to grab the Windex bottle. He rips off a piece of paper from the roll on the ground and begins to spray the window, wiping away any little streaks from his and Adam's hands when they held themselves against the glass. Thankfully, they're almost done with the project so Kurt can go home and enjoy the silence that is his dormitory.

It's when Kurt is reaching up high to get a little smudge off the glass window when he sees _him_. Quite possibly the most adorable, attractive, handsome guy Kurt has _ever_ seen. He's standing a few feet away from the window dressed in black, headphones shoved into his ear. His hair is dark, curls tamed with what looks to be far too much hair gel. Somehow, it works for him. His eyes are big and gorgeous. They almost seem to sparkle against the florescent lighting. Slung over his arm is another black piece of clothing that looks like an apron and Kurt is almost positive he's seen this guy around the mall. He probably works here, actually. Is it the coffee shop downstairs?

The guy is looking at the set up behind Kurt, a small smile on his face as he reaches up to adjust the head phones. He then gives a thumbs up as his smile widens a little. At this, Kurt accidentally drops the paper towel in his hand as his heart flutters. If he thought this guy was cute before, Kurt is convinced that he's absolutely breath-taking when he smiles like that. Kurt smiles back when the guy laughs, watching Kurt pick up the paper towel from the floor and crumple it up.

And then Adam walks back in, scaring Kurt half of death and causing him to nearly drop the stupid Windex bottle. Kurt turns his head quickly to look at the older male. "So, are we done here?" he asks, voice coming out a little sharper and annoyed than he meant.

Adam looks a little taken aback by Kurt's tone, but that shocked look quickly leaves his face as he smiles with a nod. "Yeah, I think so," he says as he takes a step back to look at the set up, adjusting the vest a little. "I'm gonna take a look at it from outside." And then he's opening the little door and heading out.

Kurt quickly turns back towards the window to see that the guy is gone. His heart sinks and he's almost positive his shoulders sag a little bit. Though, he quickly straightens his posture. He's just some random cute guy. There is no reason for Kurt to get so worked up about him walking away. He's probably straight, anyway. And with incredible looks like that, there's a high possibility that he has a girlfriend who would not be too happy knowing that some gay boy at the mall has eyes for her man.

So, after that afternoon, Kurt puts the guy out of his mind and by the following day, he's forgotten about him and his gorgeous hazel eyes and dazzling smile.

There are other things, Kurt decides, that need to be focused on. Like school and work.

However, that little plan of his fails because three days later Kurt sees the guy again when he's walking into the mall. This time, he spots him at the coffee shop that he suspected the guy worked at. And, of course, he's looking as adorable as ever with a black cap perched on his head. His apron hanging at his neck and tied around his waist. For a moment, he catches the guy's eye and Kurt is almost positive he smiles _at _Kurt. Kurt, of course, smiles back a little awkwardly, unsure if that smile was directed at him.

He quickens his pace, knowing that his racing heart isn't due to his brisk walk.

For the remainder of the day, Kurt finds himself hoping he'll see the gorgeous barista again. It doesn't happen, though, and he's completely annoyed at himself for being disappointed at that.

That night, Kurt finds himself thinking about the guy's bright smile.

The following week, Kurt is assigned a new project. He is to redesign the window on the first floor. He's pissed when he is paired up to work with Adam but he's ecstatic when he realizes that said window offers a _perfect_ view of his favorite coffee shop.

Today, Adam isn't as bad. He mostly keeps to himself and _actually_ asks Kurt for his opinion. He even lets Kurt dress a mannequin without making any stupid comments about it. And whatever comments that Adam makes, roll right off of Kurt's shoulders because he's far too busy admiring the view of his…favorite coffee shop.

"You're quiet today," Adam points out. "Normally you snap at me when I try to correct you."

Kurt just shrugs in response. He hears Adam sigh and hardly pays attention to that because at that moment, he catches the cute barista looking his way. This time, he smiles and waves at Kurt to which Kurt returns the action, smile a little giddy. Thankfully, Adam doesn't notice considering he's too busy sticking some decals on the window.

It's when Kurt is smoothing down the final decal on the window that he notices the cute barista walking towards the window and stopping a few feet away from it like he did last time. Kurt's heart leaps as he smiles over at the guy as he scrunches his face in this adorable little look of, "I approve." arms crossing over his chest. Kurt giggles. _Giggles. _And he thanks whatever higher power may or may not exist that Adam stepped out of the room about two seconds to get some shoes for the mannequins. Kurt isn't sure what he would have done with himself it Adam heard that little laugh coming out of him.

Then, the guy reaches into his pocket, pulling out a sharpie and a small piece of-what looks to be-receipt paper. He scribbles something down before pressing it against the glass for Kurt to read.

"I'm Blaine." and a little smiley face.

Kurt's heart is racing as he pulls out his phone and opens the notepad application to quickly type out. "Kurt. It's nice to meet you." and hold it out for Blaine to see.

Pulling the paper away, Blaine scribbles something else on the paper and holds it up again with that heart stopping smile of his. "Likewise, Kurt."


	2. It's Impossible to Ignore You

So far, Kurt's college life has gone by rather smoothly. He's doing very well in his classes and all of his professors adore him considering he's very outspoken and _loves_ to engage in class discussions. He always has a comment to make about something. Outside of his classes, Kurt has a decent social life. It's fairly similar to those of his high school days. He doesn't have an enormous group of friends. He has a few acquaintances here and there and a few good friends. He hardly goes to parties, though he's invited to them quite a bit. He really isn't your typical college student, going out every weekend and getting completely wasted. His first experience drinking in high school didn't go very well, and it ended in him retching all over Miss. Pillsbury's shoes. And the second time he went out drinking was at one of the dorm parties. He underestimated the amount of alcohol his body could tolerate and had trouble remembering what happened that night. The one thing Kurt _did_ remember, however, was that he ended up making out with a random guy that night.

It was the second time Kurt had kissed a boy. The first time, it was Karofsky throwing himself at Kurt. The second time, Kurt was drunk out of his mind and didn't even know the guy's name.

The following morning, Kurt had been absolutely mortified and a little disgusted him himself. After throwing up the contents of his stomach, he had brushed his teeth about three times and showered, hoping the steaming hot water would wash away the regrets from that previous night. It hadn't really worked because three days later, he was still feeling absolutely horrible.

That had been Kurt's first semester of college. Kurt had quickly learned his lesson. If he wanted to make it big he needed to focus. So, there was no time for parties every weekend. He needed to focus on his job and school work.

There were still those nights, though. On the days that he was stressed out because of an upcoming final or a paper due. Kurt would go a little crazy, letting the stress get the better of him. Then, his mind would wander, skimming over all of the things that were wrong with his life. Each and every time he would find himself wondering when _his_ time would come and when he would finally meet that boy that he had been searching for, for years. When he would finally have a _boyfriend._ He would even briefly wonder if there was something wrong with _him, _though he wouldn't let himself think about such a thing for very long. He had let himself once and wound up crying himself to sleep.

For that reason, Kurt doesn't like getting his hopes up when he sees a cute boy smiling at him. He doesn't let himself make these little fantasies up in his head. He did it back in high school, with Finn. He tried so hard, so very hard to convince himself that Finn would come around. That he would forget all about girls and finally realize that the person he wanted to be with was _Kurt._ Obviously, that hadn't happened. And honestly, Kurt was happy about that. Looking back at it, Kurt wanted to slap himself for even being attracted to the boy.

So, Kurt is careful around Blaine. He doesn't take those little smiles and waves as something _more._ Blaine is just very friendly. It's in his nature. This is something Kurt has come to realize the few times he's seen the boy interacting with customers. He always has this blindingly bright smile that has Kurt practically swooning, even when it isn't directed at him.

It's been two weeks since they officially introduced themselves to each other when Blaine wanders over to the glass window near the coffee stand. At first, Kurt doesn't notice him standing there, observing the new display Kurt has been working on. His heart leaps when he does see Blaine, though, watching as his eyes scan the area behind Kurt before those bright eyes finally land on Kurt. Blaine types something out on his phone and holds it up.

"_Did you do this all on your own?"_

Kurt nods proudly with a grin and resists the urge to respond with, "That's why it looks so good." Adam wasn't involved on this project, thankfully. This one was all Kurt's doing.

Blaine's jaw drops for a moment and then he smiles, typing. _"That's incredible."_

Kurt laughs softly as he pulls out his own phone to type out, _"Thank you."_ And then after a short pause, he turns the screen back to face him as he types out another message. _"I'm so glad you're here. I need you to help me decide. Red or black?" _He holds out the phone for Blaine to see. Once Blaine is finished reading, Kurt leans down to grab a red tie along with a black one, slinging them on either side of the male mannequin. He raises his eyebrows and tilts his head in question. Blaine stares for a few seconds, in thought. Finally, he points, mouthing out the word, "Red." with an affirmative nod.

Suddenly, Blaine's head perks up and he turns to face the coffee bar. Kurt can see one of the other baristas saying something to Blaine who nods in return and looks back to Kurt, still smiling. He mouths a quick, "Gotta go!" before giving a small wave and running back to the bar. Kurt waves half heartedly, wanting to punch himself for being so upset Blaine can't stay longer. His eyes lower to the ground and linger there for a few seconds. He can't let himself get in too deep. He's been rejected once before and he can't let it happen again. Not at this point in his life, anyway.

Kurt sees a pair of black shoes and quickly looks up to see Blaine holding up a piece of paper with a phone number on it. Below it, it says "Text me. We're practically dead over there and I'm sooooo bored." followed by a sad face. Kurt giggles and nods as he punches the number into his phone, heart fluttering.

Kurt and Blaine spend the next hour texting back and forth. Every now and then they catch each other's eyes from the distance. Sometimes Blaine makes a funny face at him and Kurt laughs. Within that hour of talking, Kurt gets to know a lot more about Blaine. He finds out that he too grew up in Ohio. Actually, he was a member of one of the choir groups McKinley competed against. The Warblers. How could Kurt forget? The all boys school he considered transferring to, but never got the chance considering his dad and Carole couldn't afford it. Kurt can't help but briefly wonder if he and Blaine would have been friends. He glances up at Blaine, watching him as he prepares a cup of coffee. Kurt smiles. He's sure they would have been.

Kurt also learns that Blaine has big dreams. He, too, wants to move to New York some day. Blaine is majoring in music therapy and Kurt's heart nearly melts when he reads the message. Kurt hasn't known Blaine for very long, but he's gotten an incredibly amazing first impression. And second. And third. He's artistic, talented, handsome, sweet _and_ he wants to help people through the use of music. Kurt can't help but sigh dreamily as he continues texting Blaine for the remainder of his shift.

The next day, Kurt doesn't see Blaine. He feels a little silly when he finds himself looking over at the coffee bar every now and then. After about the fifth time of peeking over, Kurt figures today is Blaine's day off. It's Kurt's day off tomorrow so he won't see Blaine then either.

Unless…

Payday is two days from now. Kurt doesn't have direct deposit so he has to stop by to pick up his check. He could _conveniently_ mix up the days and show up tomorrow anyway. Stopping by the coffee bar for a quick coffee wouldn't hurt. He needs his morning coffee. He'll just conveniently forget to grab some at the Starbucks near the campus.

So that's exactly what Kurt does. He quickly picks up his check at customer service the next morning and eventually wanders over to the coffee bar just outside the Nordstrom. His heart sinks when he notices that Blaine isn't there. Is he off today, too? Kurt feels like a complete fool. What the hell is he even _doing?_ Going out of his way to visit Blaine. On his day _off. _Making up excuses to see a boy who's _just_ a friend. Kurt bites his lip. He might as well buy a stupid coffee since he's here anyway. So, he stands in line, pulling out his phone to distract himself.

Kurt is barely paying attention when the cashier asks him if he needs help. Kurt tears his eyes away from his phone, looking up to see-

_Blaine?_

Kurt tries not to look surprised. He thinks he's failed because Blaine laughs. And Kurt's sure it's the most adorable, gorgeous laugh he's ever heard.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," Blaine says and Kurt never knew he could fall in love with someone's voice.

"No, I-Sorry." He laughs nervously. "I just thought you weren't here. I didn't see you a minute ago."

Blaine grins. "I was in the backroom. Can I get you anything?"

Kurt nods as he finally steps up to the counter. "Grande non-fat mocha, please."

Blaine nods as he scribbles the order down and rings Kurt up. Kurt hands him his credit card and Blaine quickly swipes it, handing it back as he moves over to the espresso machine to start on Kurt's drink. "So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" he asks as Kurt watches his gorgeous hands for a moment and raises his eyes to meet Blaine's.

"I forgot my morning coffee. I have trouble functioning without it. Today's my day off but I came in to pick up my paycheck." So, that's half a lie, but Kurt can't let Blaine know that he came _just _to see him. Because that's incredibly creepy. And Blaine's a boy. Probably a straight boy at that.

Blaine smiles at Kurt with a small nod. "I'm flattered you chose my place of business to get your coffee. I don't mean to brag, but we've got the best coffee in the mall." He finishes up Kurt's drink, adding a bit of whipped cream to the top. Kurt usually doesn't like whipped cream on his drink because it's incredibly fattening, but Kurt says nothing because it's a sweet gesture on Blaine's part.

"We'll see about that," Kurt says with a small smile. Blaine flashes him another smile before sliding the cup over to Kurt who takes a sip. And, ok, this is probably the best café mocha he's ever had in his life.

"So?" Blaine asks with a gentle arch of the brow.

"It's ok." Kurt rolls his eyes but grins.

"Whatever," Blaine laughs. "You're in denial."

Kurt takes another sip of his coffee as Blaine watches him. When Kurt lowers the cup, he speaks up before he cant stop himself. "Hey, what time are you off?"

Blaine looks at his phone and says, "In about half an hour."

Kurt grins confidently. "If you don't have plans, we should have lunch. I think we've crossed the line between acquaintances to friends when you gave me your number." Kurt's heart his beating rapidly and he really hopes he isn't blushing. Kurt has always been confident, so why is he so nervous asking Blaine to have lunch with him? Oh, yeah. He doesn't want his crush on this boy to develop into something more.

"Sure," Blaine says. "I'm starving."

Kurt's digging himself into a hole and he damn well knows it.


	3. It's Bad Enough We Get Along So Well

"So, let me get this straight. You guys made it to _Nationals_ and the competition was thrown because two of your main singers _kissed_ on stage?" Blaine is asking, eyes wide.

"I can't believe you didn't see the video. It had like twenty thousand hits on youtube!" Kurt laughs, shaking his head. Looking back at it now, it's freaking hilarious. When it happened, not so much. Especially after Santana's freak out. Kurt was certain she was going to tear Rachel apart.

Blaine laughs as he takes another bite out of his burger. When he swallows and takes a drink of his water he speaks up. "At least you guys made it to Nationals. After we lost at Regionals, we went back to performing for old folks' homes."

Kurt laughs but cringes. "Wow, I'm sorry."

Blaine shrugs. "They were rather enthusiastic. Sometimes more so than the audiences at the competitions."

Kurt almost snorts in laughter at the thought. "So, music therapy, huh?" he asks, switching the subject.

Blaine nods. "It's kind of like an agreement I made with my father," he explains considering he didn't go into detail over text message. "He wanted me to make a lot of money. Ever since I was a kid, he and my mother told me I needed to become a lawyer or a doctor." Kurt almost frowns at Blaine's words. What kind of parent decides their child's future like that, giving them little room for options? Kurt says nothing on the matter, though. He doesn't want to overstep any lines. "I wanted to focus on something a little more…artistic, I guess. When I mentioned going into a field that didn't involve medicine or law, my dad told me it was completely unacceptable." He shrugs. "So, my senior year of high school, we came to an agreement. One that would make both of us happy. So…music therapy it was."

"Is it what you really wanna do?" Kurt finds himself asking gently.

Blaine smiles across the table at him. "It is. And I'm not just saying that because of my father. I mean, I get to do what I love _and_ I'm helping people."

Kurt feels his heart melt _again._

_Be more perfect. I dare you._

"What about you?" Blaine asks. "Why fashion design?"

Kurt arches an eyebrow as he motions to the clothes he's wearing. "Are you really asking me that, Blaine? Really?"

Blaine holds his hands up in defense, laughing.

Kurt smiles softly. "My reason isn't as…well, complicated as yours. I've just always loved fashion ever since I was a kid. It's such a great way to express yourself. It really makes a _statement._" Kurt's almost sure Blaine's eyes sparkle when he watches him talk over lunch.

Kurt knows that eventually, though, they have to part ways and Kurt doesn't want to think about that moment because he loves spending time with Blaine. Kurt is about to ask what his plans for the rest of the day when Blaine's phone rings. He politely excuses himself and answers the call. Kurt lowers his eyes to his meal, picking at it silently, trying not to eavesdrop but it's so difficult when Blaine is sitting _right there._

"Yeah, I got off of work an hour ago…I'm having lunch with a friend."

Kurt smiles into his salad.

"I know. Of course, I didn't forget."

Kurt takes another bite of his salad chewing quietly.

"Definitely. I'll see you tonight, honey."

Kurt nearly drops his fork. A pet name. That must mean-

"Sorry," Blaine says with a laugh as he slips his phone into his pocket. "Girlfriend-"

Kurt suddenly loses his appetite.

"-We're supposed to go out for dinner tonight and she's just making sure I haven't forgotten." He rolls his eyes with a smile. "You know how women can get sometimes."

"Yeah," Kurt said a little too quickly. "I mean, no. I wouldn't know in that way-" words are flowing out and he can't stop himself "-considering I've never had a girlfriend-" it's unnecessary information, but Kurt is so _frustrated._ Not at Blaine. Of course, not Blaine. Just at himself for falling for a straight guy, _again._ "-since I'm gay."

"Oh," Blaine says suddenly, eyes a little wide. Shocked and embarrassed. "Sorry. I mean. I didn't want to assume anything."

"It's ok," Kurt said with a laugh that he hopes doesn't sound forced. "It's not like I try to hide it or anything. Don't worry about it." He grabs his bag from where it's settled by his feet and slings it over his shoulder. "You work tomorrow right?" he asks as Blaine stares up at him, eyes a little sad and confused. He nods at Kurt's question.

"Great. Maybe I'll see you then. Have fun on your date," he offers with a gentle smile.

Kurt gathers his tray of food and hears a soft, "Thanks. Bye, Kurt…" from Blaine behind him and it takes everything within him to bite back the frustrated tears trying to force themselves out of his eyes.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I was so <em>stupid<em>," Kurt says softly into the phone. Rachel coos at him from the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," she says softly. "It happens. At least you didn't let too close to him?" she tries and Kurt sighs at her attempt to comfort him.

"I guess," Kurt mutters. "He just. I don't _know, _Rachel. He was just so sweet and friendly. I thought that maybe, just _maybe_ he might have been flirting with me."

"Sure sounded like it from what you've told me."

"So it wasn't all in my head?" Kurt asks hopefully.

"Not completely," Rachel replies, voice soft. "Maybe he's in denial," she says. "Maybe it's _destiny_, Kurt. You were sent to him to show him the truth. The _gay_ truth. Maybe it's your job to pull him out of the closet with your powers of seduction."

"Oh my _god, _Rachel. Stop talking," Kurt groans into the phone. "You're so ridiculous. And can we please stop talking about Blaine? I'm trying to get over this hopeless crush on him."

"_Fine,_" Rachel sighs.

Before Kurt can say anything, he hears a beep signaling an incoming call. Kurt's eyebrows pull together as he mutters a, "Hold on." and pulls the phone away from his ear to look at the screen. His stomach drops.

"Oh my god," he says into the phone. "He's calling me."

"Who? Blaine? Ohmygod, I told you!" Rachel nearly shouts. "He's calling you to tell you that he's suddenly questioning his sexuality and he needs your help!"

"Shut _up,_" Kurt says. "I'll call you back."

"Alright," Rachel chirps before Kurt presses his finger against the answer button, half expecting Blaine to tell him that he's accidentally dialed the wrong number.

"Hello?" Kurt says carefully.

He can almost hear the relief in Blaine's voice. "Kurt, hi."

Kurt really hates how beautiful his name sounds on Blaine's tongue. "Hey. What's up?" Kurt says, trying to sound casual even though his heart is about to leap out of his chest.

"I just-I wanted to apologize. For this afternoon, I mean. You seemed a little…upset, I guess."

Kurt bites down on his bottom lip. Shit. Why did he always have to wear his stupid emotions on his sleeve? He really, really needs to work on that.

"I don't want you to think I have a problem with you being gay or anything," Blaine continues. "I just really want to make that very clear."

"Thank you," Kurt says quietly. "It's ok."

They both go quiet for a few seconds, the silence uncomfortable. Kurt bites his lip as he picks at the string on his bed sheets.

"Sorry, I wasn't interrupting something, was I?" Blaine asks suddenly.

Kurt shouldn't want to cling to this phone call like this. He needs to let Blaine go. Blaine is _straight_ and there is no way in hell they can be friends. Not when Kurt has feelings for him_._

"I was just working on some homework," Kurt says glancing over at his desk with the homework he decided to neglect when Rachel called him earlier.

"I should probably let you go, then," Blaine says and Kurt closes his eyes at Blaine's word choice. He nods even though Blaine can't see him.

"I'll see you around," Kurt says. "Goodnight, Blaine."

That night, Kurt doesn't call Rachel back and he doesn't go back to his homework. He lays in bed, curled up on his side, phone off. He can't keep Blaine off of his mind. He also can't help but wonder why the hell Blaine was so concerned about calling Kurt to apologize. Why did it matter so much? Kurt was _barely_ his friend. Kurt bites down on his bottom lip. Why is Blaine so perfect and sweet? He hasn't even been directly rejected by Blaine, yet it hurts so much knowing that he's taken. By a _girl_ at that.

Kurt feels like a criminal that night when he turns off the lights and pulls the sheets over his body. He hates the way he can't stop thinking about Blaine and his pretty mouth. He can't help but wonder what his lips would _taste_ like. Kurt shouldn't be thinking this way, but he hates Blaine's girlfriend. He doesn't even know her but he _hates_ her because she has Blaine and he doesn't.

The following week, Blaine asks Kurt if he wants to have lunch again. Kurt is hesitant, but he agrees. Is it possible to want to push someone away while simultaneously wanting to pull them closer? Because that's exactly how Kurt feels about Blaine right now.

After lunch they decide to have some ice cream, taking a seat outside by a bench near the large glass windows. They don't exchange many words, simply gazing out the window, watching people walking by bundled up in their scarves and coats.

At one point, Kurt looks over at Blaine who, in turn, looks at Kurt and smiles. Kurt's eyes go down to his mouth. Right below his lip is a bit of chocolate ice cream. Kurt laughs softly.

"Um, you've got something on your-" Kurt points to his own mouth.

"Oh," Blaine says suddenly, sticking out his tongue to get at the ice cream. He gets it on the first try, but Kurt is suddenly mesmerized by Blaine's pink tongue. "Is it still there?" he asks.

Kurt nods.

Blaine sticks his tongue out again and Kurt is trying to figure out if it's sexy or just adorable. He can't stop looking at the way it darts out past his lips. And he can't stop himself when suddenly, he wonders what it would feel like to have that tongue on his neck. Or maybe his stomach. Or in his _mouth._

"Still?" Blaine asks, snapping Kurt out of his trance.

"No," Kurt says suddenly. "You got it." He turns his face to look out the window, licking at his ice cream, trying not to smile.


	4. Skipping Beats

Blaine Anderson comes from a family that is-to put it simply-made of money. He is an only child, which comes to a surprise to many people who get to know him. He doesn't "act like an only child" is what they say. He's honest and hardworking. He likes pleasing others and hates it when he is seen as a disappointment. Blaine hates being looked down on.

Especially when it comes to family.

That's the reason why he has chosen his current career path. Music Therapy is a wonderful choice and he couldn't be happier with his decision. Honestly, he could care less what he's doing as long as music is a part of his life somehow. It always has been and Blaine intends on keeping it that way. Some may say that it's him giving in to his father's wishes, but Blaine thinks otherwise. He's happy with his choice, really.

However, that doesn't go for the more personal decisions of his life.

When Blaine was a freshman in high school, he started going through big changes, as most boys his age did. Everybody had boyfriends and girlfriends. Everybody was sharing their first kisses and going to house parties. Everyone was growing up, basically. Finally realizing that there's life outside of their parents' home. There's pretty girls who look surprisingly curvier than usual and young men who lost their baby fat over the summer.

Only, Blaine wasn't really attracted to these curvy girls. He didn't find himself chasing after the long, soft hair and smooth, slender arms. He found his interest in other boys. It was strange, really, and difficult to come to terms with. But Blaine accepted this about himself rather quickly.

And then he met Jeremiah at The Lima Bean. He was the most handsome boy Blaine had ever seen. Long and blonde curly hair. A strong jaw. Pretty, light eyes. He was perfection in Blaine's eyes. He was a senior. They hit it off pretty quickly and Blaine learned in a few days that Jeremiah was gay, too. Blaine had to keep himself from jumping for joy on the spot, to keep himself from looking like a complete fool.

Blaine and Jeremiah never dated. They did, however, spent a lot of time together. Blaine was almost positive he would have his first boyfriend his first year of high school. That is, until his father found out about his feelings for Jeremiah. Somehow, his father found out Blaine kissed the older boy one night after going out for some coffee. It was a quick, two second kiss. But someone saw. And someone told his dad.

Blaine's father wasn't angry. No. He was disappointed which Blaine believed was worse. He told Blaine what he was feeling was just a phase. One that will pass. He told Blaine that he was just confused and that he just needed to find himself a nice girlfriend. Blaine, of course, listened to his father like he always had.

He listened, but he didn't _agree_.

Blaine went through high school without a girlfriend _or _a boyfriend. It was something he didn't really have time for, though. The school found out about Blaine's kiss with Jeremiah and the news spread around the school like wildfire. Blaine was bullied and picked on _constantly._ It was painful and emotionally scarring. After transferring to Dalton, his parents sent Blaine to a therapist who he saw every week for a year. Eventually, most of those internal wounds faded, but there were still some scars and Blaine was sure that they would remain there forever. He just tried not to think about it.

It was his first year of college that Blaine met the girl who would break his heart after three months. It was stupid, letting himself get so close to this girl. He was never really in love with her, but he shared his first sexual encounter with her; his first hand job. It was magnificent having someone else touch him that way. But, that was pretty much all that happened until she decided to break up with Blaine because he wanted to take it slow. Because he didn't want to go all the way after three months. Looking back at it now, it was ridiculous, really.

Blaine has been dating his current girlfriend for two months now. Blaine was hesitant, after the heart break he went through with his first girlfriend. Hell, he was hesitant because there was a little feeling, deep in the pit of his stomach. A strange feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on. A feeling that was telling maybe this wasn't a good idea. Blaine was away from home. Maybe he could try dating a guy. Of course, he decided against it because,

"Blaine, it's a phase."

He thinks he's realized what that feeling was today, though. That feeling was telling him,

_That bitch is going to cheat on you._

Blaine isn't really heart broken. He knows better than that now. He's just angry. No, he isn't angry. He's _seething_ when he finds out. When he walks into her apartment to surprise her with some Chinese takeout and her favorite movie to find her giving some guy a fucking blowjob in the middle of her living room. He immediately throws the food and DVD on the floor and storms out the door. She calls him later that day to apologize but Blaine refuses to listen.

"You cheated on me," he practically yells into the phone, "There is no explaining to be done. It's _over._ And just-" He pauses, voice breaking, angry tears brimming in his eyes. "Don't call me back, please," he finishes, voice quiet before hanging up and turning off his phone.

He's bitter and he's angry. He feels so used and betrayed. It doesn't matter if Blaine wasn't _in_ love with her. He's been cheated on and lied to. That's enough to make him cry angrily into his hands that night.

Blaine is _exhausted_ the following day and thanks whatever higher power may be out there that he works at a coffee bar. Three shots of espresso later, Blaine is awake and wired, but still has that image from last night clawing at his mind. It's disgusting and infuriating and he wishes his memory had a delete option. Unfortunately, it doesn't. So, he needs to do his best to keep his mind preoccupied.

Halfway through his shift, he spots Kurt who is working on one of the window displays. For some reason, Blaine suddenly finds himself smiling.

Blaine likes Kurt. Like, a lot. In fact, he likes Kurt much more than he probably should. Blaine thinks that Kurt is quite possibly the most beautiful boy he has ever seen. And Blaine never knew that _boys_ could be beautiful. He thought they were just handsome. Kurt has definitely proved Blaine wrong.

Blaine has never been happier to be proven wrong. Even if it's indirect.

Right now, all Blaine wants to do is be in Kurt's presence. He doesn't even care if the boy doesn't say a word to him. He just wants to be close to him and he wants to feel that calming, gentleness rolling off of this boy that he barely knows, yet feels he has known for years.

Blaine feels like he should be afraid of these feelings, but he's not. Actually, he hasn't felt anything more right since that night he kissed Jeremiah. It's been so long and Blaine is almost immediately convinced that his dad was so wrong. It's been _years_ and Blaine is still attracted to men.

Especially men named Kurt Hummel who have beautiful voices and cute laughs and gorgeous smiles.

Blaine is a little surprised when Kurt is at the register a few hours later. Blaine is so incredibly happy to see him he almost forgets that he's in a bad mood today. When Kurt steps up to the end of the bar, watching Blaine make his drink, he smiles. Blaine's eyes catch Kurt's for a moment and he gently returns the gesture.

"How are you?" Blaine asks finally.

It's been a month since that awkward lunch they shared when Kurt told Blaine he was gay. Blaine has tried to forget it because he was almost positive he saw a hint of sadness-maybe even disappointment-flash in Kurt's eyes that afternoon. Like maybe he didn't like hearing that Blaine had a girlfriend. Blaine was taken a back when Kurt told him he was gay. He tried not to leap over the table and hug Kurt out of sheer _joy_, just knowing _someone_ who was gay. Someone that Blaine could…maybe talk to.

He couldn't though. He was afraid. He wasn't _sure._

But, damn it, these feelings were all so overwhelming, he was almost sure it had to be something. The way Blaine just _felt_ when Kurt was around. It didn't even compare to what he felt when he kissed girls.

"I'm fine," Kurt responds, leaning against the counter. "Exhausted. I was up half the night working on a research paper."

Blaine scrunches his nose up. "Ouch," he says with a laugh before sliding the cup over to Kurt. "Sorry to hear that. Did you finish it, at least?"

"Of course, what kind of student do you think I am?" Kurt scoffs with a smile and Blaine laughs. God, he really, _really_ likes Kurt.

"Hey, I was wondering…" Kurt begins slowly, sounding a little hesitant, "I got this gig singing at little café downtown. One of my friends knows the owner and they offered me to perform this weekend. If you'd like, you're more than welcome to come." Kurt pauses for a moment. "Unless you have plans with your girlfriend or some of your friends."

Blaine's heart skips a beat at the mention of his girlfriend and he desperately wants to blurt out that he dumped her, but he stops himself. This is definitely not the time to talk about something like that. So, instead, Blaine nods his head. "Sounds like fun. Where is it?"

And that's how Blaine finds himself sitting in a cute little café, Saturday night, at a booth by himself with nothing but a glass of water to accompany him. He feels a little awkward sitting all alone. He kind of figures he should have brought a friend along, but it's a little late for that now. Blaine then suddenly reminds himself that he's here to see Kurt perform. And for some strange reason, he's _really_ excited to see what kind of singing voice his friend has because, really, he has the most beautiful speaking voice Blaine has _ever_ heard.

Blaine's heart skips a beat when he sees Kurt step onto the stage. Almost immediately, Kurt's eyes find him and he lifts his hand delicately to wave at Blaine. Blaine can't help but wave back happily.

He's sure he likes Kurt _way _more than he probably should.


	5. Flushing Cheeks

How much is too much? That's definitely a question Kurt has been asking himself much more often than he's used to. He blames Blaine.

Stupid, adorable, perfect, amazing Blaine.

Who looks absolutely _breathtaking._

When Kurt spots his friend across the dining area, he suddenly realizes that this is the first time he's seeing Blaine outside of his usual uniform. He's wearing a red polo and a bowtie. A _bowtie._ And, honestly, Kurt can't help but wonder if this guy really is straight. How many straight guys wear _bowties?_ Then again, he does have a girlfriend.

But Kurt can't shake Rachel's voice out of his head. Maybe he really _is _in denial. But, who is Kurt to judge? He should be the last person to be judgmental.

Kurt simultaneously loves and hates the way Blaine smiles at him. He also loves and hates the way he waves and how ridiculously attractive Blaine is. Kurt's getting in way too deep and he damn well knows it. He knows he shouldn't have invited Blaine here tonight, but he can't help himself. He really, truly likes Blaine and he can't just kick him out of his life. Blaine's so sweet and honest and just…so _loving._ Kurt can't push someone like that out of his life. He _needs_ someone like that.

He wants Blaine to be his.

"We're ready whenever you are," one of the band members tells Kurt with a smile. Kurt nods, tugging at the black Alexander McQueen scarf wrapped around his neck. He hasn't performed in front of an audience since high school, so his nerves are starting to get the best of him. Kurt takes a deep breath, closing his eyes.

_Just like Glee club_, he reminds himself.

When he opens his eyes again, Kurt steps up to the microphone as the guitarist starts plucking the firs few notes of the song.

On cue, Kurt brings both hands up to the microphone, touching it softly. "_Don't know much about your life…_" He takes a short breath, _"Don't know much about your world, but…don't wanna be alone tonight on this planet they call earth…"_ Kurt closes his eyes, suddenly thinking about Blaine. Realizing how this song reminds him of his friend. Of course it does. Just like half of the music that Kurt listens to…

"_You don't know about my past and…I don't have a future figured out. And maybe this is going too fast…And maybe it's not meant to last…"_ Kurt opens his eyes, gaze immediately falling on Blaine. He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be looking at Blaine, singing these words _but_… _"What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below…"_ He gently releases the microphone, bringing both hands to his sides, palms facing the floor, _"or hand to hold…"_ He clenches his fist _"or hell to pay…What do you say? What you say?"_ Behind him, the band starts up in time with his voice.

Suddenly, Kurt sees himself singing to Blaine. There's no one else in the room. It's just him and this gorgeous boy he met through a glass window. _"I just wanna start again…Maybe you could show me how to try…Maybe you could take me in…Somewhere underneath your skin."_ Kurt smiles at Blaine and Blaine returns the gesture. Blaine is walking towards him, taking both his hands as Kurt sings. _"What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below."_ Blaine touches his face. _"And I had my heart beaten down, but I always comes back for more, yeah, there's nothing like love to pull you up, when you're lying down on the floor, yeah." _Kurt pulls Blaine close, holding him against his body. _"So, talk to me, talk to me, like lovers do. Yeah, walk with me, walk with me, like lovers do…Like lovers do…" _Kurt's arms are around Blaine and it all feels so real. So warm and so safe. "_What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below or hand to hold or hell to pay…" _Behind him, the band suddenly goes quiet, back to just the guitar and with that, Kurt is pulled back to reality. A world where Blaine isn't his. A world where Blaine has a girlfriend and Kurt is singing on a stage to a few people in a small café. _"What do you say…? What you say? Don't know much about your life…." _The guitarist plays the final few chords and the song ends with Kurt gently gripping the microphone, one hand on the mic, the other on the stand.

Applause fills the room as Kurt releases the microphone, smiling softly and nodding his head, giving a gentle thank you. His eyes catch Blaine for a moment as he's almost embarrassed to look at his friend. His friend who he _fantasizes_ about while singing.

Thankfully, the next few songs aren't about love or taking chances. Kurt has a difficult time keeping his eyes off of Blaine while he's singing. And he can't help but be excited over the fact that Blaine spend the next twenty minutes watching _him_ on stage.

Once Kurt gives his final thank you he steps off the stage as the band begins packing their things. Kurt wastes no time in approaching Blaine's table and the smile on his friend's face is absolutely _breathtaking_.

"Wow Kurt you're…" Blaine laughs, shaking his head, "incredible!" he finishes. "And you said you never got any solos at the competitions?"

Kurt can't stop himself from grinning as he shakes his head.

"Well, your teacher was _insane_ because you're voice is amazing."

Kurt laughs softly. "Oh, stop it. You're making me blush," Kurt says and-shit, he's flirting isn't he?

"I only speak the truth, my good man," Blaine says in a cheesy British accent and, woah, is that Blaine flirting back?

Kurt giggles softly before looking at Blaine's table. "I was sure you'd bring someone with you tonight."

Blaine shrugs. "My friends were all busy tonight."

Kurt arches a brow. "Oh," he says, a little shocked he didn't mention his girlfriend. "Anyway," he continues, "I'm pretty much done here for the night. I know it's a little redundant considering we _are _at an eating establishment, but I was actually planning on going across the street to this little noodle shop a couple of my classmates won't shut up about."

Blaine's eyebrows go up and he smiles. "I haven't had dinner yet," he says. "Mind if I join you?"

"Only if you promise to sing karaoke with me," Kurt says as he brushes past Blaine, peeking over his shoulder to watch Blaine quickly gather his scarf and coat to hurry after Kurt, calling out a quick, "Well, duh!"

The laughter the boys share that night is something Kurt hasn't felt in a very long time. Blaine makes him laugh so hard he has tears streaming down his face. Blaine is silly and so incredibly adorable. He's incredibly bouncy when he sings and it's so very endearing. The moment Blaine gets up on the mini stage at the karaoke bar, this new life fills him. There's a spark in his eyes that Kurt hasn't seen before and he is suddenly reminded of the short, blazer clad teen from his high school years. The memories of The Warblers competing against New Directions are vague, but still there. The competition was a huge blur considering Kurt was nervous beyond belief, but he isn't lying when he says that he does remember Blaine. Kurt also remembers briefly thinking to himself that the lead soloist of their competition is really cute and very energetic.

Kurt can hardly believe it when he hears Blaine's karaoke selection. It is quite possibly the one of the most ridiculous songs Blaine can pick. Kurt practically screams when he laughs, clapping his hands together and tossing his head back with an, "Oh my _god!_"

Blaine is practically jumping up and down during the chorus. _"They call me hell! They call me Sta-cey! They call me her! They call me Jane! That's not my name…that's not my name…that's not my name…that's not my…name!"_

Kurt can't contain his laughter as he watches Blaine through his teary eyes. Kurt was sure Blaine couldn't beat his overly dramatic rendition of 'You and I' by Lady Gaga, but Blaine has definitely proven him wrong. Kurt is shaking his head and Blaine when he returns to their table to take a drink of water.

After a few more laughs and sips of their drinks, they're leaving the karaoke bar, wide grins on their faces.

"Ok," Kurt says, "I don't think I can _ever_ look at you the same way again after watching you sing That's Not My Name like _that,_ Blaine. Oh my _god._"

Blaine continues grinning at him as he wraps his scarf around his neck. "It's been years since I've performed in front of a crowd," he says, "Why not make it memorable?"

"Oh, you made it memorable, alright," Kurt responds, thinking back to the way Blaine kept running from one end of the stage to the other, pointing at different people who were half paying attention to him.

"You're one to talk," Blaine says, bumping Kurt's shoulder gently, "you were lying on the floor at one point, kicking your leg up."

Kurt shrugs, "I was _just_ being in character."

"Right," Blaine chuckles.

Kurt stuffs his cold hands into his pockets, the bitter December air biting at the tip of his nose. "Ugh, I hate Ohio weather," he grumbles mostly to himself. "When it gets this cold my skin gets _so_ dry, it's disgusting."

Blaine snorts beside him and Kurt looks over to see him rolling his eyes with a small smile. "Your skin looks fine."

Kurt feels his stomach swoop as he smiles at Blaine before a silence settles between them for a few moments. Kurt then decides to break it with a bold question that's been nipping at his mind since he saw Blaine enter the café alone. "I thought I'd be meeting your girlfriend tonight," he offers carefully.

Blaine seems to pause for a moment, slowing his walk just slightly to look over at Kurt briefly. He looks forward again. "I don't think you'll be meeting her at all," he says with a small, dry laugh, "I broke up with her a few days ago."

Kurt nearly stops in his tracks. He wants to pump his fist into the air and cry out triumphantly. This is quite possibly the best news Kurt has heart this month-no, the best news he has heard in his entire _life. _"What? Really?" Kurt says, trying to sound sympathetic.

"Yeah," Blaine says with a shrug. "Wasn't really working out."

Kurt presses his lips together tightly. "Oh," he says after a long silence. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Blaine. But…as they say, there's other fish in the sea…or something like that," he laughs softly.

Blaine looks over at him, big hazel eyes sparking against the Christmas lights decorating the trees around them. He smiles. "Yeah," he says finally, voice quiet. "There are."

And at that moment, Kurt is almost sure he sees a new look in Blaine's eyes: hope.


	6. Struggling

**Thank you all for all of your kind reviews. Really, it means so much! I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update. Life has kind of been kicking me in the ass, but I promise I haven't given up on this story.**

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><p>Blaine hates the way his ex girlfriend keeps texting him. He hates the way she won't stop apologizing and he hates the voicemails, begging for him to call her back. He refuses to call her or even talk to her. This has nothing to do with heart break. It just has a lot to do with betrayal. He feels, to put it simply, cheated. He feels stupid for not seeing any signs. He can't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the sex. Well, more like the lack of it.<p>

Blaine wants to feel relieved considering he wasn't getting much out of the relationship to begin with. His feelings for her just didn't seem…right. But he can't help but feel angry and bitter.

It also doesn't help that he has to go home for the weekend with all of his belongings now that the semester has come to an end.

Blaine's roommate has decided to drop out of school and move to Europe. Kind of a last minute decision on his part. Blaine knows he wouldn't be able to afford the place on his own and can't find a new room mate in time. So he decides to move out as well. He's found an affordable single bedroom apartment, but can't move in for another week, so he's stuck going home for the weekend. Of course, he's excited to see his parents. He isn't excited about the two hour train ride and he definitely isn't excited about the questions his father will ask concerning his love life.

Kurt has offered Blaine a ride to the station, and Blaine couldn't be happier to accept it. He loves spending time with Kurt.

But somehow, Blaine mixes up his departure time. That's how he finds himself standing in the middle of the station, bags at his feet, eyes wide as he stares down at his ticket. "I swear to god," he breathes, "It said five, not six."

Kurt remains silent beside him as Blaine sighs and looks over at him. "Can you keep an eye on my bags?" he asks, "I'm gonna go see if I can change my time."

But, of course, the answer is no. The behind the desk apologizes about seven times, explaining that the next train leaves tomorrow afternoon. When Blaine finds his way back to Kurt, his friend immediately asks what happened.

"The next departure is tomorrow at three," Blaine groans, pulling out his phone. Great. Fantastic. Now he has to find some gross, cheap motel to spend the night at.

"Why don't you just stay with me?" Kurt asks. Blaine raises his eyes from the screen of his phone. Yeah, they're friends, but… "Oh. I don't want to impose. That's very kind of you to offer-"

Kurt scoffs. "Nonsense," he says with a roll of the eyes. "Why are you going to take a two hour train ride home when you can just stay with me until you can move in to your apartment. I've got room. It isn't a problem."

"Kurt, I…"

Kurt raises a finger. "I'll have none of that," he says with an arch of the brow. He then gathers half of Blaine's bags. "C'mon. I'm starving." He smiles at Blaine before turning and his heel and walking off. Blaine can't help but smile a bit as he grabs the remaining bags and follows Kurt.

Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Because Blaine is secretly happy that he missed his train because now he can avoid his father and his pressing questions about Blaine's no-longer-girlfriend.

o~o~o~o

Kurt shouldn't be this excited to hear about Blaine's break up. But he is. He really, really is. He wants to hear about what kind of awful, terrible, mean person would cheat on Blaine. He would _never _cheat on Blaine.

"I mean, it wasn't like I was totally in love with her. I don't even think I was _in love_ with her, you know?" Blaine is saying into his glass of red wine. He takes another sip and Kurt can't help but watch the way he licks his lips. "But it just…made me so _angry_ when I walked in on her like-_that_."

Kurt's eyebrows raise. "Like what?" he asks, though he's sure he knows exactly what Blaine means. He just wants to hear it.

"With some guy's dick in her mouth-ugh," Blaine blurts taking another angry drink from his glass.

Kurt nearly spits out his wine when he laughs. He brings up a hand to cover his mouth, swallowing at Blaine looks over at him, eyes wide and confused. "Why are you laughing?" he asks.

"I've just-" Kurt giggles, "I'm sorry. I've just never seen you like this. And I don't think I've ever heard you curse before." Admittedly, it's kind of hot. Kurt wonders if Blaine curses when he's-

Kurt stops his train thoughts. _Inappropriate,_ he reminds himself.

"Sorry," Blaine says softly.

Kurt smiles and lets Blaine know that it's ok. Finishing off his glass, he sets it aside and sinks into the couch, eyes drifting to the TV. They watch in silence as the kids from The Breakfast Club freely dance around the library. He hears Blaine laugh softly beside him after a few moments and Kurt's eyes dart over to him for a moment and he smiles at the sound of Blaine's laughter: quite possibly one of the most beautiful things he's ever heard.

One glass of wine later, they're laying on Kurt's bed on their back's nearly howling in laughter. Blaine is telling him ridiculous stories about the crazy customers he has to deal with at work. Kurt doesn't really deal with customer's directly, so he doesn't have many stories to share, but that's ok because he could listen to Blaine talk for hours.

o~o~o~o

Kurt doesn't really consider what he's doing to be fair game. But he does think he deserves a damn pat on the back because, really, it's one of the best plans he's ever come up with. He waits until Blaine is asleep of course before quietly padding over to the thermostat and flipping the switch off. The temperature within the small dorm will drop in no time.

Kurt carefully steps over Blaine's sleeping form on the ground and crawls into bed silently. It takes Blaine about twenty minutes to finally wake up and say something.

"Kurt," he calls out softly in the darkness. "Kurt, it's freezing in here…"

"Hmm?" he asks, feigning sleepy innocence.

"Is the heater on?"

"I'll go check," Kurt responds, trying to hide the smile in his voice as he slips out of bed and, wow, ok, it's ridiculously cold. He steps over to the thermostat, absently poking at it for a few moments, before cursing quietly. "It's down again," he mutters, masking his voice with annoyance. "I really need to talk to someone about this." With quick little steps he crawls back into bed and wraps himself in his blanket, shivering.

"God, I'm freezing," Blaine mutters from the floor. Kurt peeks over the edge of the bed down at him. His stomach swoops as he decides to continue with his plan which is starting to seem stupid because he's freaking out now. What if Blaine freaks out at the suggestion Kurt is about to make?

"Get up here," Kurt says finally. "This bed is big enough for both of us and you'll be much warmer."

Blaine doesn't hesitate to stand and crawl in beside Kurt and he briefly wonders if this is all some wonderful dream.

But he can feel Blaine's warmth under the covers and that's enough to let Kurt know that this is all very real. Kurt pulls the covers over both their bodies. He can feel Blaine shivering beside him. Kurt swallows, mouth going dry. He really shouldn't be doing this. Blaine's _straight._

"I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" Kurt asks suddenly, eyes glued on the ceiling.

"How is this uncomfortable?" Blaine asks quietly. "It's freezing down there."

Kurt bites his tongue, closing his eyes. He's used to people treating him differently when they find out he's gay. Sure, the kids in glee club were always nice to him. But people in this school are different. "Usually when guys around here find out I'm, they don't really want to stand too close to me," Kurt says suddenly. "I guess they think they'll…catch the gay or something," Kurt tries to make his voice sound lighter, like it doesn't bother him.

"I'm not like other people," Blaine says and then Kurt hears him shift beside him. Kurt turns his head to see Blaine watching him. "I didn't push you away when you told me you were gay, did I?"

Kurt shakes his head and he can see Blaine's smile in the darkness. "Thank you for being such a good friend," Kurt mutters honestly. He can't believe he even thought about pushing Blaine away. "Your girlfriend is a bitch for cheating on you," he says as he rolls on to his side, back to Blaine as he hears his friend laugh, sound low and gentle.

Kurt doesn't kiss Blaine like he hoped. They don't spend hours making out like Kurt fantasized about. However, before Kurt is able to drift off to sleep, he feels Blaine moving a little closer to him and Kurt isn't sure if Blaine is asleep or not when he suddenly feels Blaine's arm drape over his waist. After a moment, he feels Blaine's nose press into his shoulder and feels him sigh softly, contently. Kurt's body tenses. Blaine's warm body pressed along his back feels so perfect and so right. Kurt relaxes against Blaine letting his eyes close.

"Thank you, Kurt," Blaine says so softly that Kurt almost thinks he's dreaming.


	7. One of These Days

Blaine knows that he's falling for Kurt. There's no doubt about that. He finds himself thinking about Kurt more often than he would like to admit out loud. Most people would be angry for missing their train. But Blaine isn't bothered in the least. He gets to avoid his father's pressing questions about Blaine's life _and_ he gets to spend the weekend with Kurt.

Blaine can't stop thinking about last night. He can't seem to forget how wonderful and perfect everything felt when his body was lightly pressed against Kurt's. Maybe it was a stupid, bold move, but he had a legitimate excuse to snuggle close to this beautiful boy. Blaine believes body heat is an excellent way to stay warm.

Blaine feels guilty. Kurt knows nothing about his past. At least the things that really matter. He doesn't know about Jeremiah and he doesn't know about Blaine's feelings when it comes to girls and how he just doesn't find them sexually appealing. At all. He doesn't want to confuse Kurt, but he also doesn't want Kurt to think that he's been purposefully keeping information from him. Blaine hates secrets. He has his father to thank for that. Because _Blaine_ was the family's best kept secret. He thought that by now he would have broken out of that stupid shell. Let himself date boys. But he's let himself become so accustomed to lying to himself that he has trouble breaking out of that nasty habit. He's afraid of letting his family down. He's afraid of being some big, stupid disappointment that nobody wants to talk about.

But, Kurt…

Kurt is so wonderful. He's so proud of being who he is. He's so brave and he _really_ doesn't care what people think. And Kurt makes Blaine want to not care either. Because Blaine _wants_ Kurt. But he can't say it. His mouth can't form those words. His voice can't force out the phrase, "I really like you more than I probably should." So, instead of saying it, Blaine tends to show it thorough little touches and bright smiles. He grabs Kurt's arm and squeezes it gently when they're talking. He lets his eyes linger on Kurt's a little longer than necessary.

And most importantly, he asks Kurt out on a date.

"There's this Christmas carnival in town for a few weeks. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me tonight? I know you've said that you don't really like carnivals, but maybe you'll like this one. There's a bunch of lights and really nice Christmas decorations." Blaine asks over lunch. Kurt looks up from his salad, blue eyes practically sparkling and he nods. "That sounds like fun."

Blaine grins and laughs. He half expected Kurt to decline. He doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy carnivals, but what the hell. He said yes and, really, that's all that matters. "It will be," Blaine promises before taking a bite out of his pizza.

o~o~o

The night starts off great. Kurt lends Blaine one of his scarves because, of course, Blaine has lost the only one he owns. Blaine manages to keep the small smile from his face when he notices that the scarf smells like Kurt.

The carnival isn't crowded when they arrive which Blaine takes as a good sign. He kind of wants tonight to be perfect because, in his head, this is a date. Even though he and Kurt are technically friends. Friends who share a bed and snuggle for warmth.

The first thing that catches their attention is a pen decorated with ornaments and lights. Inside there are eight caribou, the fence decorated with eight different names: Santa's reindeer. Blaine's eyes linger on the animals for a few moments until Kurt speaks up.

"I can't help but feel bad for them," he mutters.

Blaine turns his head to look over at Kurt who is watching the caribou as they move around the all too small enclosure. "I hope they're treated well, at least." Kurt pauses for a moment, laughing softly as he closes his eyes. "I blame Rachel," he sighs. "My best friend is a vegan and _such_ a softie when it comes to animals. I guess she's rubbed off on me a little."

Blaine can't take his eyes off of Kurt as he talks. He watches him quietly, heart swelling. He bites his lip, smiling softly. "It's sweet," Blaine finally says to which Kurt quickly turns his head to look at Blaine. Kurt's smile is a little sheepish as he looks back at the pen as one of the caribou approaches them, sniffing the air hesitantly. Kurt reaches out to it as they both watch the animal quietly as it warily sniffs Kurt's hand then licks it. Kurt quickly pulls it back, laughing a little and wiping it against his coat.

As they continue wandering the carnival, Blaine's eyes remain on Kurt. He smiles at the way the Christmas lights make Kurt's blue eyes sparkle and his skin practically glow. Kurt's one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen. Blaine's stomach swoops as the thought crosses his mind. Blaine has _never_ felt this way about a girl or even a boy. It's like Kurt is on a completely different level.

"So, do you have any limits when it comes to carnival rides?" Blaine asks.

"I won't go on anything that goes upside down," Kurt says immediately.

Blaine sticks out his lower lip in a mock pout. "Not even if I offer to buy you a gazillion donuts?"

"Those things are a heart attack in a cheap paper bag, Blaine. No."

"…Caramel apple?"

"Messy."

Blaine stops to think for a moment. Then, his face lights up. "Free coffee for the next month," he says with a triumphant grin.

At this, Kurt pauses and actually thinks about it. Blaine raises both eyebrows expectantly. "You know it's an excellent bargain. Four minutes on a ride on exchange for four weeks of delicious, _free_ coffee."

Kurt is about to say something. He takes a breath but freezes when suddenly a young boy is coughing, then retching at Kurt's feet. Blaine's eyes go wide with shock as terror floods Kurt's face. He says nothing and remains completely still as the child stumbles away, crying for his mother.

"Oh, my god," Blaine breathes.

Blaine convinces Kurt that he doesn't mind helping him clean off his boots. It isn't that bad and Blaine feels like its partly his fault. He was the one that suggested they come to this crappy carnival. He knew it wasn't something Kurt would normally do, but he still insisted they come and promised Kurt he would have fun.

Blaine was so very wrong.

Once Kurt's shoes are successfully cleaned and Blaine has covered his hands in hand sanitizer he slowly wanders over to the bench where Kurt is, avoiding eye contact. He takes a seat silently beside Kurt and there is an awkward silence lingering between them for a few seconds.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine blurts out, looking at the ground.

"For the fifth time, it's fine," he hears Kurt say beside him but Blaine refuses to believe him. Kurt is so particular about his clothes and he mentioned earlier on in the night that those boots were new.

Blaine doesn't want to spend the night sulking because this night is supposed to be perfect—or at least close to it. So, Blaine lets a wide smile pull at his lips as he stands. "So how about that ride, huh?" he offers.

o~o~o

The ride of their choosing turns out to be another disaster much to Blaine's horror. For some terrible, stupid reason the damn thing decides to malfunction, causing the boys to remain stuck in their seats, harnesses snug with their backs pressed uncomfortably against the seats. Blaine bites his lips as he drops his head against the headrest, eyes squeezing shut. Curse words are swirling around his head and it is incredibly difficult not to open his mouth and let those words free.

Twenty minutes later, the mechanics fix the problem and everyone is free from their seats. Blaine resists the urge to hang his head in shame as they step off into the grass. "We should probably go," Blaine says.

"What?" Kurt asks over the screaming from some of the other carnival rides.

"I said we should go," Blaine calls over his shoulder only to stumble into the woman walking in front of him, causing him to nearly lose his balance. The woman tosses Blaine a dirty look before continuing on.

Blaine sort of hates everything right now.

o~o~o

Stepping through the door behind Kurt, Blaine tugs off the scarf Kurt has lent him for the night and sets it on Kurt's dresser. He peels off his coat and hangs it over his chair. They haven't exchanged many words since they left the carnival. Blaine is, to say the least, freaking out. He's terrified of what Kurt thinks about him now and even more afraid of getting an earful from a very dissatisfied Kurt in just a few minutes. He's afraid of listening to him tell Blaine that the Christmas carnival was an awful and stupid idea. That he had a terrible time and that—

"I had fun tonight."

Blaine stops in his tracks and he looks at Kurt. "What?" he asks after a beat. "But that was—it was a disaster. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong," Blaine blurts out.

Kurt shrugs. "Yeah, some kid threw up on my shoes and we got stuck on a crappy carnival ride, but I still had fun. It was nice spending the night with you," he says as he sits down on the edge of his bed and begins to tug off his boots.

Blaine has to keep himself from staring at Kurt, mouth hanging open because, really, he definitely was not expecting to hear that. He feels a sense of relief suddenly wash over him and he's almost sure his shoulders visibly become a little more relaxed. "I'm glad you had a good time," Blaine says finally with a gentle smile.

o~o~o

"Alright. Next. Steve Madden or Sperry Top Sider."

"Oh, _man,_ Top Sider, all the way."

"I knew you'd say that," Kurt smiles triumphantly as he leans back in his seat, sipping his coffee.

"And why's that?" Blaine asks as he takes a small drink of his own.

Kurt arches a brow at him as he leans to the side dramatically to peer down at Blaine's shoes. "Do I _really_ need to say it? You have an addiction to those shoes, Blaine."

"I do not," Blaine says, scrunching up his face.

Kurt sits back up. "You keep telling yourself that," he says with a shrug as he takes another drink. "This is delicious, by the way," he adds. "Especially since it's free." He smirks.

Blaine bites back a small laugh.

It's been a week since their disastrous date, as Blaine likes to call it. Not a romantic date, though, he reminds himself. Just a friendly one. Because he and Kurt are _just_ friends, despite the fact that Blaine want to kiss Kurt every time he sees him. He has no idea what he's doing though. He doesn't know his way around boys, let alone _Kurt._ He's so different from the girls that Blaine has dated. All two of them.

Sometimes Blaine feels like he's in high school all over again when he's with Kurt. He gets butterflies in his stomach when Kurt's hand accidentally brushes his. Blaine's cheeks feel a little warm he reaches out to touch Kurt's arm when he makes one of his hilarious, witty comments.

They're in Kurt's car about to pull out of the parking lot when Kurt suddenly stops to look at Blaine.

"Okay, can I ask you something, um…personal?"

Blaine's eyes go to Kurt and suddenly, he feels really warm. "Um, sure."

"Are you…straight?" Kurt briefly looks down at the steering wheel before turning his gaze back up to Blaine. "I mean—" he stutters, "I know you said you had a _girlfriend_ and all, but—I'm not trying to assume anything, but—" he pauses, breathing out slowly, as if he's gathering his thoughts and putting them into a complete, coherent sentence. "To put it simply, my gaydar is sort of going crazy, no offense."

Blaine's heart is at his throat and it's beating uncontrollably. He's almost sure that he's blushing and he really, really hopes Kurt doesn't notice. "None taken," Blaine says, laughing a little at how _blunt_ Kurt can be sometimes. It's one of the reasons he likes him so much. Blaine takes a deep breath and sighs. "To be completely honest, I don't think so."

Kurt blinks and gives a small, slow nod. "So you're…bi-sexual?" he asks, saying the word like it burns on his tongue.

"Again…I don't think so…" Blaine chews on his lip. He's almost sure his heart is about to give out from how fast it's beating. He's never talked about this to anyone, ever. "I don't really know anymore."

Kurt is looking at him a little wide eyed. There's a bit of shock in his face as his eyebrows rise. A little smile tugs at the corner of his lips.

Blaine's staring right back. "Why are you smiling?"

Kurt pauses before quietly adding, "I _knew_ it."

Then, there is another short silence before Blaine snorts and begins laughing. Kurt bursts out in laughter and they lean against one another, gasping and giggling uncontrollably.


	8. We'd Be Great, Together

Being home for Christmas feels a little weird considering Blaine hasn't seen his parents since the semester started. Normally, he visits on weekends throughout the time classes are in session, but this semester has been the most difficult yet. Not to mention his job has been pounding him into the ground with all of those extra holiday hours.

So, here he is. Back home. All of the other times Blaine has been excited to be home. He doesn't have to worry about buying groceries or making sure he's up on time for class. He can just…_relax._ Usually, it's wonderful. Usually, it's magnificent. But not this time. This time things are different.

Blaine never stopped finding boys attractive. The whole idea of being gay was always in the back of his mind, settled in a deep dark corner. For a while, especially in high school, he attempted to convince himself that his father was right, that the whole "fiasco" (as his father liked to call it) with Jeremiah was just a phase. After Blaine's first kiss with a girl, he began to believe that it was true. Maybe he wasn't really attracted to boys and perhaps his attraction to Jeremiah was some weird teenage hormonal thing. He liked his first kiss. It was nice and her lips were soft. Her skin was smooth and she smelled like strawberries. Those feelings didn't last very long, though because Blaine couldn't stop himself from staring at attractive men when he went to the beach with his first girlfriend. He couldn't stop himself from admiring the rough, toned bodies of men.

Blaine wanted a boyfriend. God, he wanted one so bad. He had for such a long time.

And then Kurt came into his life and turned everything upside down. He was a beautiful whirlwind, tearing Blaine's whole world apart in the best way possible.

"How have you been, sweetie?" His mother asks from the other side of the kitchen as Blaine stirs the homemade gravy sitting on the stovetop. His heart sinks a little because he wants to talk about Kurt so very badly. "Tired," Blaine admits with a small laugh. "I'm surprised the coffee shop gave me the days off."

"I'm glad they did, honey," he hears his mother say, her voice gentle. There's an edge to her voice. Like maybe she wants to mention something else, but she doesn't and lets a comfortable silence settle between them.

* * *

><p>"So there's one last present I have for you," Blaine's father says the morning after Christmas. Blaine looks up from his phone. He's been texting Kurt since yesterday morning, telling him stories of his parents and his past with his father. Spilling his heart through little messages to a boy who he met a few months ago and found himself trusting instantly. A boy who Blaine is almost certain he has fallen for.<p>

"What's that?" Blaine asks curiously, pocketing his phone.

"I've got another beautiful car I've been working on rebuilding. I hardly see you now that you're away at school and I think it'd be a great way to bond. Father and son. You haven't talk much about school or your new job. Maybe we can catch up. I know you loved it that one summer."

_Pretended to,_ Blaine thinks, a little bitterly despite the smile on his face. "Sounds like fun, dad," Blaine says instead.

Within an hour they're out in the garage and the smell of oil and just—rebuilding cars brings back memories of darker times. Times he doesn't like thinking back on.

Blaine really doesn't want to do this because he knows _exactly_ what this is. This is another one of his father's lame attempts to bond with his son in one of the manliest ways possible.

His father jumps straight into the questions Blaine has been dreading since he climbed onto the train back in Cleveland.

"How are you doing in your classes?"

Blaine opens up the toolbox. "Fine," he mutters. "I managed to get straight A's this semester."

"That's my boy." Blaine's dad says and Blaine can hear the smile in his voice.

Blaine doesn't hate his father. He just hates the way he decided to handle his son's homosexuality. He hates the way he decided to call it a phase and force Blaine to "move on." He doesn't understand that those feelings weren't just a little something his teenage son was going through. They were real feelings that followed him through high school and stayed with him through college.

"Didn't you say you were working at a coffee shop?" he asks, then adds, "Hand me the wrench."

Blaine nods as he pulls a wrench out and handing it to his father. "In the busiest mall in all of Cleveland, of course. This holiday season has been murder. I'm not sure how I made it out alive."

Blaine's father laughs as he leans back and rolls under the car. Blaine listens to him tinkering about for a few moments before he emerges again and sits up, wiping his hands on his jumper. "Any girlfriends?" he asks with a smile and a raise of the eyebrow.

And with that simple question, something sparks within Blaine. A fire comes to life and his heart skips a beat. "No," he says without a moment of hesitance. "A boyfriend, actually. I invited him over so you guys could meet him."

Blaine watches as his father's smile slowly fades. He purses his lips and nods. "Oh, ok," he says slowly. "Have you—did you already tell your mother?" he asks, suddenly avoiding eye contact as he stands to look through the toolbox.

"Not yet," Blaine says, voice a little weaker than before. In that moment, he feels like he can breathe again for the first time since he arrived in Westerville.

* * *

><p>"Hey Kurt?" Blaine says, suddenly interrupting Kurt's rant about his stepbrother's terrible table manners.<p>

"Yeah?" Kurt says after a short pause.

"Today I…kind of told my parents that I have a boyfriend. And I also sort of told them that he was coming over to meet them." Blaine bites his lip.

"Wait—you _what_? Blaine, you never told me you had a _boyfriend._"

"That's because I don't."

"Then…OK, you've lost me," Kurt says quickly.

"I told him that _you_ were my boyfriend."

Kurt says nothing.

"I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess. But, please, Kurt I need you to do me this huge favor," Blaine says in one, quick breath. "I just really need to prove to them—to my dad that I _can_ have a boyfriend and be happy. I want him to realize what an idiot he's been—Kurt, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll give you free coffee for the rest of forever...Or until I quit or get fired or—or something."

More silence.

"Shit. Did you hang up? Kurt?"

And then Blaine hears laughter. That adorable, soft laugh and he can just _see_ the way Kurt's eyes get all wrinkly and his nose all scrunched up and his hand reaching up to cover his mouth.

"Is…is that a yes?" Blaine asks carefully.

Once Kurt's laughter settles, he sighs. "I suppose, if it'll get me free coffee for the rest of forever," he teases lightly.

Blaine nearly jumps out of bed out of excitement. "Thank you, Kurt!" he says quickly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're amazing!"

"I know," Kurt says.

* * *

><p>So maybe Blaine wasn't as graceful as he thought he should have been in coming out to his parents. The night after the morning Blaine told his father about his "boyfriend", Blaine's father mentioned it over dinner.<p>

"Honey, Blaine told me his…boyfriend would be coming over to meet us," he had said, voice a little tight around the word "boyfriend."

Blaine had sat in silence, head slightly lowered towards his plate but his eyes on his mother, watching her reaction.

"Is that so?" she asked after a short pause. Moments after her question, a small smile was directed towards Blaine.

Blaine had nodded, swallowing his food. "He lives in Lima."

Blaine's mother had nodded and just like that, the conversation had been dropped.

Everything was very…sudden. But there is no way Blaine could take back what he blurted to his father so now he just has to go on with his plan. And, by god, it's going to work out. He will make sure of it.

Blaine's sitting on his bed, legs crossed and attention on the book in his hands when his phone buzzes on the nightstand. Setting the book down he reaches for his phone to find one new message from Kurt.

_11:57 AM_

_I'm here. I think. Do you live in a mansion?_

Blaine laughs softly as he pushes himself off the bed and moving over to the window to see a car he doesn't recognize in the driveway.

_11:57 AM_

_I see you. And, shut up, it's not a mansion, Kurt._

_11:58 AM_

_It totally is. I'm getting out of the car now. Wonder if you can make it to the door before me._

Blaine rolls his eyes, stepping into his shoes and quickly making his way down the staircase, skipping the last three. He yanks the door open just as Kurt is lifting a hand to ring the doorbell. Blaine grins. "I win," he says. At that moment, he notices just how _stunning_ Kurt looks.

His hair is perfectly styled, his skin is practically glowing. And his eyes. Good god, his eyes look so very _blue_ today. "Hey," Blaine finally breathes out the greeting, laughing a little as he steps off to the side letting Kurt in.

"My parents will be home soon," he says, "they're over at their co-worker's house doing a late gift exchange."

"You never told me you were rich, Blaine," Kurt says as he hangs his coat up. "Now I might have an actual reason to date you," he teases.

Blaine sighs, nudging Kurt. "I'm not _rich._ My parents are just doctors and like to flaunt their money every way possible. Especially my dad."

"So what would these money flaunting parents think if they found their gay son alone in the house with his 'boyfriend'?" Kurt asks, making air quotes at the last word. Despite that, Blaine feels his heart skip a beat at the very sentence—hell, at the very idea of Kurt being his _boyfriend._ Because he just realized that they are going to be pretend boyfriends for the next few hours and Blaine knows he will enjoy it far too much.

They're sitting at the bar in the kitchen when Blaine hears the slamming of a car door outside. His heart nearly jumps out of his chest as he quickly looks in the direction of the door.

"Jesus, Blaine, are you OK? Why are you so nervous?" Kurt asks.

Blaine turns towards Kurt. "I don't…god, I don't know. I've just been hiding these feelings for so long and suddenly they've just all come out in the past month and it just feels so…goddamn overwhelming all of the sudden."

Kurt slowly raises his eyebrows, blinking.

Blaine bows his head a little, embarrassed.

He hears the key in the lock.

"Kurt, I don't think I can do this," Blaine suddenly says in one breath.

"No. Yes, Blaine. _Yes,_ you can," Kurt whispers quickly. "OK? Just—You can do it. I'm right here."

"Blaine, honey?" his mother calls from the door.

"In the kitchen," Blaine calls back and he feels Kurt squeeze his arm. He looks back at Kurt who gives him an encouraging little smile. _"You can do this,"_ he mouths.

Blaine stands, nearly knocking the stool over. Kurt catches it before it crashes to the floor.

"Mom, dad," Blaine says to his parents. "This is Kurt, my boyfriend."


	9. Come Stay With Me

**So, a fair warning, I hardly ever write smut. This is probably my...second-ish time? So, I apologize in advance if it is totally lame and awkward!**

* * *

><p>"This has been the absolute worst…" Blaine trails off, dropping his face into his hands as he sits on the edge of his bed. Kurt is standing in front of him a few feet away staring down at Blaine, arms gracefully crossed over his chest.<p>

Blaine scrubs his hands over his face before looking back up at Kurt. "My dad said four words—_four,_" he hisses. "Nice to meet you," he says, voice deep, imitating his father's. And then he just walked right out of the kitchen and out of the _house_. His mother looked like she was about to explode from the embarrassment building up inside her.

"Maybe I should have taken this one step at a time," Blaine says suddenly. "I probably shouldn't have invited my b…boyfriend over," Blaine stutters over the word, his brain to mouth filter still not used to the words "my" and "boyfriend" together.

"Ok. Blaine?" Kurt says, stopping Blaine from continuing on with his rant. "It wasn't too much. You're a grown adult and your father has _known_ that you were gay since you were in high school. It isn't _your_ fault he's been in denial for years." Kurt takes a seat beside Blaine. "It may seem like a lot to take in right now, but it's just something he's going to have to deal with. You shouldn't fight against your feelings. It's…obvious," Kurt says, eyes flicking over Blaine's wardrobe with a small laugh, "that you're gay and that isn't going to change. Whether he likes it or not. I think he's taking it better than most people his age. He's probably just…confused. When I came out to my dad he asked me if I was sure." Kurt shrugs. "It was hard for him at first, but he learned to accept it."

Blaine sighs, looking down at the floor. "I just…I have this _thing_ with letting people down—with letting my parents down. I don't want to be a disappointment. I just want them to be proud of me. I really want them to accept everything about me." Blaine pauses, taking in a small breath and whispering, "Even the part that makes me gay."

"They'll come around," Kurt says, nudging Blaine softly. "I promise."

Blaine lets out a small breath before letting his head drop against Kurt's shoulder. After a few moments, Blaine feels Kurt's hand slide over his and Blaine feels his heart speed up just a little at the gentle touch.

"Blaine," his mother calls from downstairs. "Would you boys like to have lunch at BreadstiX? My treat."

Blaine lifts his head as Kurt pulls his hand back. They look at each other, eyes lingering on one another for a few seconds before Blaine looks towards his open door to call back a quick, "Sure."

* * *

><p>"I'll be right back with your drinks," the bubbly waitress informs them before she bounces away.<p>

Blaine and Kurt are sitting next to each other and Blaine's mother sits across from them.

"Blaine, honey," his mother starts slowly. "I'd like to apologize—especially to you Kurt." She looks from Kurt to Blaine. "Your father's behavior wasn't…it wasn't right. He's just having trouble coming to grips with everything."

Blaine looks down at the silverware, gently pushing it for a moment before speaking. "I don't understand why, though," he practically mutters.

"You know how he can be sometimes. If things don't go his way, he gets frustrated."

Blaine sighs, closing his eyes. Under the table, Kurt's hand brushes over his gently before he gives Blaine's fingers a reassuring squeeze. When he opens his eyes to look at his mother again, he speaks up softly. "It's been four years. We haven't talked about that night since it happened. He's just pushed it under the rug and pretended like it never happened. It isn't _fair._"

"Honey, you have to understand that—"

"No, there's nothing _to _understand, mom. He can't _make_ me straight. There's nothing he can say or do to change it. I've tried. _God, _I've tried so _fucking_ hard-"

"Blaine—"

"But I can't _change_ the way I feel. I can't _ignore_ my feelings and I can't pretend they're not there like he wants me to. I've tried, OK? I really, really have. I've made so many goddamn attempts to make you guys _happy._ I've made myself _miserable_ for your sake and for dad's, but I can't do this anymore because I'll go _crazy_ if I keep trying to live my life this way."

The waitress returns before Blaine's mother can get a word in. She sets the drinks down and asks, "Are you folks ready to order?"

"Y…Yes," his mother says a little uncomfortably, "We are. You boys go ahead," she says looking across the table at Kurt and Blaine.

The car ride home is silent.

The house is silent.

Blaine apologizes to Kurt about three times before Kurt tells him he needs to leave to make it in time to help his step mother with dinner. Blaine almost asks if he can go with Kurt. He almost begs, but instead he just nods and hugs Kurt, holding him close a little longer than necessary. Blaine mutters a quiet, "Thank you for everything" into his shoulder before stepping back to find Kurt smiling softly at him.

That night, Blaine decides to talk to his father. He finds him sitting on the couch watching the game.

"Dad," Blaine says a little hesitantly, voice quiet.

His father looks over his shoulder at Blaine before pausing the game and giving Blaine his attention.

Blaine remains standing, shoulders a little stiff and one hand clenched, his nerves getting the better of him. "Why did you…walk away like that today?" he asks, voice quiet.

His father stares back at him, expression unreadable. Then he looks at the frozen picture on the screen. "To be honest, I'm not sure," he says after a minute of silence. "I think I just needed to…clear my head."

"Why?" Blaine asks suddenly, trying to hide the anger from his voice. "Why are you acting like…" he pauses, continuing with gentler words, "like this is news to you?"

"Because it is, Blaine."

"_No it isn't,_" Blaine huffs. "You've known this for years dad. I know you're just pretending. It's time to stop," he says, suddenly feeling so much older. Like _he's_ the father in this situation, talking to his son. "I'm not going to lie to myself or to you or mom anymore. It isn't fair for any of us. I've had a lot of time to figure myself out. I've had two girlfriends so don't you dare tell me that I don't know what it's like to be with a girl. I do and it…" he pauses, laughing, "it _sucks._ I don't like it. I _don't like girls,_ dad."

The entire time, Blaine's father is just staring at the TV.

"Will you please just _look_ at me for once? We haven't made eye contact since the morning in the garage."

Blaine's father turns his head to look back at his son as Blaine takes a seat beside him. "I need this from you, dad. Please. I know it's hard for you. It's even harder for me. But I need you to do this for me. I need _both_ you and mom to accept me."

His father just stares at him, searching Blaine's face silently. After a few moments, he speaks up, voice barely audible. "I never stopped loving you—"

"I know—"

"And I'm so proud of you and how hard you work and how _amazing_ you are at every thing you do, Blaine. You're my son and I will _never_ stop loving you no matter what. I just want you to be happy and I—Maybe I'm not completely fine with…what you do with your…love life," he says the last two words carefully, "but it's who you are and it isn't my place to change you."

Blaine feels his heart stutter. His eyes suddenly sting and his throat is tight. He can't bite back the tears and he can't stop himself as he flings himself into his father's chest, feeling his arms immediately wrap around Blaine the same way they used to when Blaine was eight.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine's father says into his hair as Blaine sobs into his chest. "I'm so very sorry," he repeats brokenly, holding his son close.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Blaine says into the phone as he pushes his way into his apartment. "I just got home."<p>

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Kurt responds. "This traffic is making me sick. I don't know why I drove to Lima," he groans.

Blaine laughs softly. "I'll see you in a bit."

Originally, Blaine was going to spend New Years Eve at his parents' house, but once he found out they were both working that night, he decided to come back to Cleveland early. When Kurt heard the news, he decided to do the same because he "simply would _not_ let Blaine spend New Years alone."

Blaine has to admit, though, that he was a little upset when he found out his parents would be working. He wanted to spend one more night with them. The talk he had with his father lifted an enormous weight off of his shoulders. It made him feel so much more at ease around his parents. He wanted to bask in that feeling for one more day but, alas, the realities of life and working as a doctor took that away from him.

However, he wasn't complaining because that meant he got to spend New Years with Kurt, which was more than fine.

* * *

><p>"I come bearing gifts," Kurt announces as he steps through the door when Blaine opens it. In his hands he holds two bottles of white wine. Blaine raises both eyebrows at Kurt. "Never underestimate the powers Noah Puckerman and his fake IDs."<p>

Blaine tilts his head.

"My step brother's best friend," Kurt clarifies.

"Bless his soul," Blaine says as he takes the bottle from Kurt and leads him into the kitchen. "I thought you wouldn't make it time. You had me thinking I'd be spending the New Year all alone," he says as he cracks open the bottle and pours the contents into two glasses. "Just five minutes," Blaine announces, raising his glass.

Kurt takes a hold of his glass. "Here's to a wonderful year full of new friendships and coming out of the closet."

Blaine laughs and clinks his glass against Kurt's.

* * *

><p>Blaine has had two glasses of wine and he already feels incredibly tipsy. He doesn't really care, though, because everything just feels fantastic and warm and wonderful. And Kurt's witty comments are so much funnier when drinks are involved.<p>

They're collapsed on the couch, leaning against each other as Blaine finishes off his glass. He sets the glass aside as Kurt speaks up. "I should probably get going. I should…call a taxi." He stands, swaying just a little as he pulls his phone out of his pocket and reaches for his coat. Blaine watches his every movement, eyes trailing along the length of his arm, the curve of his back as he reaches down to tighten the string of his boots.

Blaine stands, following Kurt. "It's kind of late," Blaine reasons. He really, _really_ doesn't want to be alone tonight.

"I'm glad you picked me as your fake boyfriend," Kurt says suddenly, looking at Blaine.

Blaine stares at him, a little wide eyed and confused at his statement. After a moment, his lips curve up into a small smile. "Well, of course you were my number one choice."

"I was your only choice," Kurt says with an arch of the brow.

"True," Blaine mutters. He doesn't exactly have many gay friends. In fact, Kurt is his _only_ gay friend. "I would have chosen you anyway," Blaine says.

"Mhm. Of course," Kurt responds quietly. "It is getting late, though," he adds. "And I should probably head back to my dorm," he mutters, half to himself as he lifts his phone but Blaine catches his wrist half way. Kurt raises his eyes to meet Blaine's.

"Stay with me," Blaine says softly.

They stay that way for a few moments. Blaine's hand gently gripping Kurt's wrist as they stare at one another. Suddenly, something takes control over their bodies. Some kind of magnetic force that pulls them together and they're kissing, rough and desperate.

Kurt drops his phone on the small table near the door and he tosses his coat aside, hands flying up to touch Blaine's hair. Blaine in turn pushes Kurt into the dining table, hitching him up until he's sitting and Blaine can fit between his legs.

The kiss is sloppy and needy, mostly tongue and teeth and it's nothing like Blaine has ever experienced with either of his girlfriends. Kurt's lips are soft like a girl's, but his hands are big and warm as they slip out of his hair and down his neck. Blaine lets out a low moan into Kurt's mouth and Kurt sucks Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth, tugging with his teeth then soothing it with his tongue.

Blaine brings his hands up to grab Kurt's waist, pulling him closer to the edge of the table—closer to _him _as he pulls away from the kiss. They're both panting softly against each other and when Blaine opens his eyes, Kurt's looking at him, those blue eyes completely blown and so _dark._

"I've been wanting to do that since the day I saw you through that window," Kurt nearly whispers. He kisses Blaine again, softly this time and Blaine can't help but press into the kiss, refusing to let this end. He _needs_ more, but Kurt pulls back. Blaine is about to protest, but falls silent when Kurt is suddenly lowering his head to kiss along Blaine's neck. His hands tighten on Kurt's waist and Kurt moans softly in response against his neck. "Bed," Blaine whispers. "More comfortable. Please. Now." He feels Kurt nod against his neck before Blaine is pulling him off the table. They're halfway to the room when Kurt is suddenly pushing him into the wall, kissing him again, licking across his mouth teasingly before pulling away and yanking Blaine into the bedroom. Kurt falls back on the bed, pulling Blaine down on top of him and kissing him again, a little softer before he flips them over and gently pushes Blaine's shirt half way up his stomach to kiss the skin there, lips soft and warm.

Kurt's hands wander, brushing over Blaine's arms, down his chest and along his stomach. Blaine can't stop the desperate little whimper that escapes him at Kurt's gentle touch. Kurt pushes his shirt a little further up until Blaine understands what he's trying to do. He sits up for a moment, tugging off his polo before laying back down as Kurt crawls back up his body, knees settling on either side of Blaine's hips. His hands continue to wander, silently exploring Blaine's body, leaving a burning trail in their wake. It's too much, yet just enough.

Blaine's not used to this, having the weight of another man pressed against him. But he loves it. He enjoys this far more than he ever expected. Kurt's so gentle and so perfect.

Suddenly, Kurt is rolling his hips down against Blaine's, drawing a moan from both of them. Kurt nuzzles into Blaine's neck, mouthing right below his ear. Blaine whimpers, pushing his hips up until he can feel Kurt, tight and straining in his jeans and this is probably the hottest thing Blaine has ever experienced. "God, _Kurt,_" Blaine breathes as he pushes his hips up and Kurt meets him half way.

"Come with me," Kurt says, breath hot against his ear.

Blaine whimpers as Kurt rolls his hips down against Blaine's, and they find their rhythm. It's a little uneven and rushed, but they're both so close and so desperate. The alcohol is buzzing through their body and making everything clumsy yet so very perfect.

"I'm close," Blaine chokes out. "Kurt, I'm—" Before he can finish his sentence, he's pushing his hips up, coming in his pants. It should be a turn off and feel completely gross, but Kurt is right there, so close, sucking on his earlobe and moaning as he comes too, _mewling_ and saying Blaine's name like it's some sacred, holy thing.

That's the last thing Blaine can clearly recall from that night before he collapses back into the sheets and falls asleep.


	10. I'm Left In Bits, Recovering

The first thing Kurt thinks when he wakes up is, _I shouldn't have had so much to drink._ He's sort of a lightweight and his body is screaming at him right now for going over the limit. He almost rolls out of bed to run to the bathroom because his stomach is churning dangerously. However, he stops halfway when he realizes that he's definitely not in his own room. Kurt blinks his blurry vision away as he slowly looks around to realize that this is _Blaine's_ room.

And then it hits him.

He and Blaine—

Kurt and _Blaine_ were making out last night.

He made Blaine _come_ in his pants and—

Kurt shifts a little. Oh, _gross._

Now he really feels nauseous because—what if Blaine only kissed him because he was drunk? What if Blaine was so drunk he doesn't even remember? Or worse, what if he regrets it?

Blaine isn't in the room and that makes Kurt really, _really_ nervous. What's the proper etiquette for stuff like this? Kurt never does this. He has more respect for himself—But Blaine isn't just _anyone_ Blaine is Blaine. His best friend. The kindest most caring person Kurt has _ever _met. So, maybe last night did mean something.

But, what if Blaine thinks that Kurt is some whore who just throws himself around? What if he thinks that Kurt only did this because he knows that Blaine is gay and he just wants someone to help him get off?

Suddenly, Kurt feels embarrassed and ashamed.

"Hey, you're awake," Kurt hears Blaine say softly from the door.

Kurt looks up from where he's staring at the bed sheets. He presses his lips together for a few moments before nodding and saying, "Yeah." The air between them is tense and awkward. They say nothing to eachother as Kurt gets out of bed, grimacing a little at the uncomfortable feeling in his pants. He just wants to get back to his apartment so he can shower and lay in bed for the rest of the day. He might end up calling Rachel and complaining about how terribly he's messed up his relationship with Blaine. They had a perfect friendship and now it feels like there's this wedge between them.

"I should probably get going," Kurt says when he steps into the living room to gather his coat from the floor where he dropped it last night and his phone. "My room mate probably thinks I died on the drive here."

"I…" Blaine says slowly. "Ok," he finally says after a short pause. "Sure. I'll see you, then…"

Kurt just nods, his heart sinking and shattering in his chest as he steps through the door.

* * *

><p>Kurt feels disgusting. He feels used. His first meeting with his room mate is awkward and terrible. Kurt tries not to let it bother him too much, though. It's not like he's going to be living with the guy very long, anyway.<p>

Kurt got his acceptance letter for he Fashion Institute of Technology, but he was accepted into the summer term. So, he has to wait one more semester before he can move to New York.

So Kurt is stuck in Ohio for another five months. It feels so much more miserable now that he completely ruined his relationship with Blaine.

It's been three days and Blaine hasn't texted him or called him. On the fourth day, Kurt sees Blaine across the mall at the coffee shop. He catches the curly haired boy's eye for a moment and Blaine smiles slightly before going back to helping a customer. Kurt's stomach sinks pitifully.

The next time Kurt sees Blaine is on the eighth day, again, at work. This time, Blaine doesn't look his way. Not once. Kurt wonders if this is the end. He wonders if they're no longer friends. After everything that they've shared. After Kurt helped Blaine come out to his parents. Maybe Blaine decided he wasn't gay and Kurt helped him. Maybe he seemed to be enjoying himself that night because he was drunk. Maybe he woke up that morning feeling dirty and used.

On the fifteenth day, Kurt decides that he can't take it anymore. He feels angry. _He_ feels used by Blaine. He feels betrayed by the one boy he thought he could trust.

The moment he gets out of work, Kurt stomps over to the coffee shop, stepping up to the counter, eyes trained on Blaine who's laughing with one of his co-workers, completely oblivious to the very angry _very_ bitchy Kurt at the counter. The girl standing next to Blaine notices him first, blinking in Kurt's direction and muttering an, "Um, Blaine?" to which Blaine turns his head, still smiling. When he sees Kurt, though, that smile fades.

"What the _hell_ is your problem, Blaine Anderson?" Kurt nearly growls.

"My—What?" Blaine breathes, eyes wide.

"You haven't acknowledged my existence in two and a half weeks!"

Blaine turns his eyes back to the girl next to him. "I—Sorry. Excuse me," he says hurriedly as he yanks his apron and hat off, stepping out from behind the bar, Kurt following him.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kurt?" Blaine says hurriedly, a bit of anger rising in his voice. His eyes are burning. The only other time Kurt has seen that look in Blaine's eyes is that night he practically yelled at his mother over dinner at BreadstiX.

"Why are you pretending like New Years Eve—That is never happened?" Kurt adds the last part in a hushed tone.

"Me?" Blaine huffs. "_You're_ the one who left without a word! You never called _me_ after that. You're the one who's acting like it never happened."

Kurt's sure his heart stops at that moment. He freezes. He doesn't know what to say. He notices Blaine's voice is shaking when he talks.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. I thought you—I don't know, that you regretted it or something stupid."

Kurt remains silent, staring at Blaine, lips parted.

"Will you say _something_?" Blaine breathes, frustrated.

"I—I'm sorry," Kurt says.

Blaine huffs out a breath. "That's it? You're _sorry_?"

Kurt nods.

Blaine raises his hands in defeat, letting them drop to his sides. "Just—Whatever," he huffs. "I have to get back to work."

And before Kurt can say anything, Blaine is gone.

* * *

><p>They don't talk again after that. Kurt's too ashamed to say anything—let alone call Blaine to apologize, and Blaine is probably too angry to even bother with Kurt.<p>

The days drag on and Kurt is miserable. He feels guilty for walking out on Blaine that morning. He considers quitting his job a little early and settling in to his apartment in New York so he can avoid seeing Blaine at work. Maybe it's better that they never see each other again.

Kurt sighs, letting his head fall to his desk with a quiet _thunk_, cheek pressed against the cool, glossy pages of his Vogue magazine cover. He's been trying to read all night, but he can't get Blaine off his mind.

It kind of feels like when he first met Blaine and was convinced he was straight. Kurt almost smiles at the memory that seems so distant.

He can't just push Blaine out of his life, who is he kidding? He tried once before and it didn't work. It surely isn't going to work this time.

So Kurt has an idea: he's going to apologize…

Kurt Hummel style.


	11. You Get Me Everytime

"You want to do _what? _Are you serious?" Rachel practically squawks into the phone. Kurt winces a little and pulls it away from his ear for a moment.

"Yes," he snaps when he pushes the phone against his ear.

"And this is the guy you wanted out of your life because you feared he would break your heart?" she deadpans.

"Yes," Kurt sighs.

"The 'straight' one who wears bow ties," she clarifies.

"He's not straight, Rachel. At least…not anymore."

Rachel giggles and Kurt rolls his eyes.

"So will you help me or not?" Kurt asks, trying to sound annoyed, but his voice comes out a little more hopeful than he planned.

"Whatever can snag you a really cute boyfriend," she chirps. "Give me half an hour." And the line goes dead before Kurt can say a thing.

Kurt is going to apologize to Blaine in the grandest, most spectacular way possible: A flash mob. The Barbaravention he planned with Puck and the rest of the Glee club in high school worked then, so who says this won't? And if it doesn't work out…Well, he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it.

Kurt is a little shocked when Rachel calls back exactly thirty minutes later, telling him that half of the Glee club from high school has agreed to help them out. Some of them go to school in Cleveland while others are in Lima which is a three hour drive. After a bit of talking and planning, they decide on the most perfect day, Valentines Day which happens to land on a Saturday this year.

Kurt is starting to believe that there is a God.

That night, Kurt sends Blaine a text message:

_**10:04 pm**_

_Meet me in front of the Hollister this Saturday at 3 o'clock._

_-K_

Blaine responds:

_**10:10 pm**_

_Why…?_

_-B_

And Kurt simply says:

_**10:11 pm**_

_Please. Just do it._

-_K_

The following morning Blaine responds:

_**9:50 am**_

_Ok._

_-B_

* * *

><p>Come Saturday morning, Kurt feels like he's going to vomit all day. He can eat breakfast and he can't have his morning coffee. He barely got any sleep and when he did he dreamt about Blaine and his mouth on him.<p>

Kurt really hopes his plan doesn't fail.

They've decided on reusing choreography from one of their high school performances. '_Somebody To Love.'_ Kurt thinks the song fits.

"I'll give you guys the signal when we're ready for the music," Kurt says, a little breathless. His nerves are eating him from the inside out.

Rachel places both hands on his shoulders. "Everything will be fine," she says with a small smile.

Kurt nods shakily.

Operation "Apologize-to-your-almost-boyfriend-until-you-screwed-it-up-vention" is officially a go. It doesn't roll off the tongue and isn't as fluid sounding as the famous Barbaravention from high school, but Kurt doesn't really care at this point because he's far too nervous to begin caring about a name for this incredibly elaborate, insane apology meant for a boy he's only known for a few months.

A boy Kurt isn't ready to say goodbye to.

With a kiss to the cheek from Rachel and a pat on the back from Puck, Kurt nods and smiles as he walks away from the small group of friends. Friends he hasn't seen in a year, but knows he will never let go or forget. Friends who accepted him and helped him become as confident as he is today. Friends who helped him and agreed to go on with this stupid, crazy plan that might not even work.

But it's worth a try. Blaine is worth it.

Kurt closes his eyes, taking him a deep breath as he nods to himself and pulls out his cell phone. He quickly types a message to Blaine,

_**2:54 PM**_  
><em>I'm here. Where are you?<br>-K_

When Blaine's message comes through, Kurt's heart flutters helplessly.

_**2:55 PM**_  
><em>Turn around.<em>  
>-B<p>

Kurt smiles to himself before turning his head to see Blaine sitting at the edge of the large fountain that sits in the middle of the courtyard.

Kurt slowly walks over to him and Blaine is staring up at him, eyes big and hazel and so, _so_ very pretty.

"Hey," Kurt says softly, and he can barely hear his own voice over the sound of rushing water behind Blaine.

"Hi," Blaine responds as he finally smiles, but just barely. His eyebrows rise in silent question.

"There's a reason why I asked you to meet me here today," Kurt says finally after he takes a slow, deep breath. Blaine just continues looking up at him through beautiful eyes that remind Kurt, _I can't lose you._

Kurt swallows before he steps back a few paces, eyes immediately finding his friends across the open space. He gives a small nod and they all run up to him, taking their places behind him.

And Kurt sings out the first word.

_"Can…"_

One by one with each word sung, they raise one hand in the air, just like they did years ago.

_"Anybody find me…somebody to…love."_

Kurt's eyes hardly leave Blaine throughout the entire performance. He dances around Rachel, though his smile is directed at Blaine.

Who can't stop smiling.

And laughing shyly when the song is coming to an end and Kurt pulls him up from where he's sitting, inviting him to dance along with his friends. By this time a large crowd has formed around them, watching with smiles on their faces.

By the time they're finished, the crowd goes wild, whooping and cheering. Around him, Kurt hears his friends laughing and congratulating each other for pulling the performance off with hardly any mistakes.

Kurt, however, can't keep his eyes off of Blaine who's smiling fondly at him. Kurt's breath catches in his throat when Blaine's hand brushes his own and he grasps Kurt's fingers gently for a few seconds before letting go when Rachel jumps in front of the two.

"So, _you're_ Blaine!" she says, a little too excitedly, but so very Rachel. "Blaine Warbler. I definitely remember you from sectionals and regionals."

Blaine laughs and nods. "I remember you too, actually."

Kurt watches them talk for a while, quietly, stomach still flipping nervously. He's itching to pull Blaine aside so _they_ can talk about…them.

* * *

><p>An hour later, most of his friends have left, leaving Rachel and Mercedes. Kurt says his final goodbye to Mercedes and Rachel excuses herself soon after, giving Kurt a knowing little smile before she practically bounces away. Kurt feels himself blush at that stupid smile of hers because he knows Blaine saw it.<p>

Blaine who is looking at him.

And _oh,_ he has that fond smile on his face again.

"We should probably talk," Blaine says.

"We should," Kurt agrees before looking around and flicking his head a little so Blaine will follow him.

"I'm sorry," Kurt finally says, when they find a quieter, more secluded area. He leans against the wall, eyes finding Blaine's.

"I gathered that," Blaine says with a small laugh. "That's one hell of a way to apologize." He's practically grinning goofily.

"Would you expect any less?" Kurt asks with a quirk of his brow.

"Not at all," Blaine says without a moment of hesitation.

Kurt lowers his eyes laughing quietly before letting his eyes meet Blaine's again. He's looking at Kurt with this gentleness that Kurt never imagined someone could posses. There's such an earnest, beautiful look lingering in his warm eyes that Kurt never wants to forget.

"I shouldn't have walked out on you like that," Kurt begins. "It was stupid. And-And selfish. And rude and-You don't deserve to be treated like that. Blaine, you are…the most honest, kind person I have _ever_ met. And I know you've been through…a lot in the past few months." Kurt looks down at the floor, eyebrows drawing together, chest going tight. "And I'm…" He looks back up, but not at Blaine, afraid of what he might see in his eyes, "And I'm so sorry for taking advantage of you that night. We were both drunk and we weren't thinking and…god, I'm sorry things are so messed up and crazy right now."

"Kurt," Blaine says finally, voice soft.

Kurt swallows the lump in his throat that started forming half way through his little speech.

"Look at me," he hears Blaine say and he can't _not_ listen to him because his voice is so pleading and _honest._ So Blaine.

So Kurt looks at him.

And Blaine is actually smiling. A little sadly, but he's smiling. He shakes his head as he speaks, "You don't have to apologize for taking advantage of me because you _didn't._"

Kurt huffs out a dry laugh.

"Don't laugh," Blaine says seriously. "I mean it. I like you Kurt." Blaine looks up and laughs slightly and Kurt can't help as his eyes trail down his exposed neck, "_A lot_," Blaine adds as he looks back down, smiling dopily at Kurt. "You know, _you're_ the person who made me sure that I was gay."

Kurt nearly chokes. "_What?_"

Blaine nods. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I used to-" Blaine laughs and mops his hand over his face, shyly. "God, I used to watch you from the coffee shop before we met." He drops his face into his hands and laughs into them. "I felt like I was going crazy and I knew-" He peeks up at Kurt. "I just needed to get to know you. Know your name. Be your friend at the very least."

It's very difficult for Kurt to keep himself from gaping at Blaine because, _wow,_ he thought he was the lovesick puppy.

Kurt lets out a short laugh. "You flatter me, Blaine Warbler."

Blaine wrinkles his nose and laughs. "Don't call me that."

"What, Blaine Warbler?" Kurt teases.

"_Yeah,_" Blaine says as he pokes Kurt's arm.

Kurt laughs. "But Blaine Barista sounds kind of dumb."

"_God,_ that sounds worse."

* * *

><p>Things aren't perfect after that. There's still a bit of awkward tension between them when they talk, but at least they're <em>talking<em> and not ignoring one another's existence. Kurt asks Blaine to take his lunch break with him every time he gets a chance and Blaine always agrees. They laugh over lunch and steal glances and smiles across the table. To anyone that didn't know any better, they'd look like a couple.

But they're still friends.

They're still trying to work things out. It's only been four days since Kurt apologized, but as each day passes, Kurt feels better.

That weekend, Kurt asks Blaine out for dinner.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a date," Blaine points out as he sits back in his seat as they wait for the waiter to bring their check.

Kurt smiles at him from across the table. The waiter drops the check off on the table and thanks them. Blaine reaches out for the check, but Kurt snatches it off the table before Blaine can reach it. Kurt looks up at Blaine to see him looking at Kurt, eyes wide. He opens his mouth to say something.

"This is a date," Kurt says before Blaine can speak. "And I invited you, so that means _I'm_ paying," he informs Blaine as he pulls out his wallet and sets his card on the table against the check.

Blaine's expression softens as he leans in a little reaching across the table to grab Kurt's hand, thumb brushing over his knuckles. Kurt's breath nearly hitches at the sudden contact and the adoring look on Blaine's face that doesn't fade even as the waiter comes to retrieve Kurt's payment.

* * *

><p>"So, does this mean I can actually call you my boyfriend now?" Blaine asks when they pull up to the parking lot of Blaine's apartment. He looks over to the driver's seat and Kurt smiles at him.<p>

"I suppose," Kurt says, lips quirking up.

"So," Blaine continues slowly as he undoes his safety belt and turns to Kurt, "then that means I can do this?" He leans in and gently presses his lips to Kurt's in a chaste kiss.

When he pulls away, Kurt is grinning as he nods. "As many times as you'd like," he says, voice quiet before he reaches out to pull Blaine by the collar into another kiss, tilting his head for better access to those lips he hasn't been able to stop staring at all night.

Blaine practically gasps into Kurt's mouth, the sound soft and shaky. That makes Kurt want more, pull Blaine in closer. Blaine seems to agree because in seconds he's practically climbing into Kurt's lap, licking into his mouth in a messy, desperate kiss.

Kurt pulls away with a gasp. "Can we go inside?" he asks hurriedly. "Please?"

"Yes. God, of course," Blaine says.

In minutes, they're stumbling through the front door, slamming it shut behind them. Blaine's got Kurt pressed against the door one hand on his waist, the other in his hair and he kisses him, deep and honey slow. He runs his tongue over Kurt's lower lip before sucking it into his mouth, and Kurt makes this embarrassing, high-pitched noise that has Blaine groaning and pressing into Kurt bodily.

The hand in Kurt's hair drops to his waist as Blaine pulls away to kiss the tip of Kurt's nose sweetly before nuzzling Kurt's cheek. They're both panting against one another and Kurt can feel himself achingly hard. "C'mon," Blaine says finally, voice soft as he takes hold of Kurt's hand and quietly leads him into the bedroom.

Blaine takes his time that night. He removes Kurt's clothes slowly, one by one, kissing every inch of skin that is revealed. Kurt helps Blaine out of his own clothes, hands roaming his body, fingers tracing every line and muscle, watching the way Blaine's arm flexes when he fists Kurt in his hand. His eyes don't stay on Blaine for very long, though, because soon he's leaning his head back and letting out a broken moan.

Blaine tells Kurt that it's ok. He doesn't have to hold back or be quiet. It's just them. Only them.

Blaine teases Kurt, fingers brushing over every part that makes him start to crumble. In minutes, Kurt's hips are stuttering and he's coming over Blaine's fist. Once Kurt comes down from his orgasm, he looks up at Blaine who's watching him with that adoring smile on his face. Kurt feels himself blush to the tips of his ears, but he smiles at Blaine too, reaching out to place his hand on Blaine's cheek and watch him close his eyes nuzzle Kurt's hand.

"Will you make love to me?" Kurt asks, voice quiet.

Blaine's eyes open as he lifts his head from where it's pressed into Kurt's hand to look down at him. After a few moments of silence, he speaks. "Only if you'll let me…" Blaine says slowly.

Kurt nods_._

Blaine carefully spreads Kurt out on the bed, movements gentle and measured. He reaches over the bed to the night stand to pull out a bottle of lube and a condom.

The preparation is slow. Careful. Blaine doesn't want to hurt Kurt, but when Blaine has two fingers inside him, Kurt is practically writhing on the bed, begging for more, begging for Blaine. And Blaine can't deny him when he's begging so prettily and his bangs are falling down over his eyes like that.

When Blaine is finally pushed inside Kurt, he can't help the cry that rips from his throat. It's halfway between a sob and a moan. Kurt is so tight and so warm and so very perfect. Blaine asks him if he's ok when Kurt suddenly goes still and is relieved when Kurt nods shakily and digs his fingers into his back and begs him to start moving.

Once he finds his rhythm, he can't stop. He can't stop saying Kurt's name, he can't stop thrusting deep inside, he can't stop panting. When he finally comes, he does so with a cry, sweat rolling down his neck and back, Kurt's legs wrapped tightly around him. Through his orgasm, he can feel Kurt tighten around him as he comes, too, practically screaming as he presses his forehead against Blaine's arm.

It takes a few minutes for Blaine to finally pull out. Kurt whimpers at the loss but he quickly scrambles close to Blaine, curling up against him, holding him close.

"I think I love you," Kurt whispers into Blaine's chest.

"I've known I loved you," Blaine says without a moment of hesitation.

* * *

><p><strong>Stay tuned for the epilogue!<strong>


End file.
